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Shaping collagen for engineering hard tissues: Towards a printomics approach.
Malachy Maher1, Miguel Castilho2, Zhilian Yue3
1Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, AIIM Facility, Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong, NSW 2519, Australia; Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation, Manufacturing Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia.
Acta Biomaterialia
|June 30, 2021
Summary
This review examines collagen template processing and mineralization for hard tissue engineering. Optimizing these steps is crucial for creating effective bone, dentin, and cementum substitutes.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Hard tissue engineering aims to regenerate bone, dentin, and cementum, but a gold standard remains elusive despite advances in 3D culture and printing.
- In vitro mineralization of cell-free collagen templates is a promising strategy, leveraging collagen's abundance and structural role in hard tissues.
- The success of mineralized collagen scaffolds hinges on the collagen template's properties, influenced by processing, fabrication, and mineralization techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review current strategies for processing and fabricating collagen templates for in vitro mineralization.
- To examine various mineralization approaches for depositing mineral onto and within collagen templates.
- To provide insights into promising methods for creating advanced mineralized collagen scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on collagen processing, template fabrication techniques (e.g., extraction, reconstitution), and in vitro mineralization strategies.
- Analysis of how collagen source, extraction methods, and retained fibril-forming potential impact template properties.
- Evaluation of mineralization approaches for their efficacy in mineral deposition on and within collagen structures.
Main Results:
- Current hard tissue engineering lacks a definitive approach, highlighting the need for optimized collagen template strategies.
- Collagen processing and fabrication significantly influence template characteristics, including composition, organization, and density.
- In vitro mineralization success is directly linked to the quality of the collagen template and the chosen mineralization method.
Conclusions:
- Advanced processing techniques that biomimic hierarchical collagen structures are essential for effective hard tissue regeneration.
- Careful selection of collagen source, optimized extraction, and retained fibril-forming potential are critical for template fabrication.
- Future research should focus on integrating optimized collagen template strategies with in vitro mineralization for superior hard tissue substitutes.
