Bioactive scaffold (sodium alginate)-g-(nHAp@SiO₂@GO) for bone tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Polymer Nanocomposites

Background:

• Rising incidence of bone disorders necessitates advanced treatments.
• Bone tissue engineering offers a promising approach for bone defect repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize novel polymeric nanocomposite scaffolds using sodium alginate, hydroxyapatite, silica, and varying amounts of graphene oxide (GO).
• To evaluate the potential of these scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration applications.

Main Methods:

• Free-radical polymerization and freeze-drying techniques were employed for scaffold fabrication.
• Comprehensive characterization included structural (FTIR, XRD), morphological (SEM), mechanical (tensile testing), and wetting (contact angle) analyses.
• Biological assessments involved cell viability, adherence, proliferation, and mineralization assays using osteoblast cell lines.

Main Results:

• Scaffolds exhibited distinct pore morphologies, with SAG-1 showing larger pores and lower porosity (81.45%) and SAG-4 showing smaller pores and higher porosity (53.82%).
• Mechanical properties varied significantly, with SAG-4 demonstrating superior compression strength (13.67 MPa) and modulus (96.16 MPa) compared to SAG-1.
• SAG-4 also showed enhanced apatite formation, cell adherence, viability, and proliferation, indicating better biocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• The addition of graphene oxide (GO) in sodium alginate-based nanocomposites allows for tunable scaffold properties.
• The fabricated scaffolds, particularly SAG-4, show significant potential as advanced materials for bone fracture treatment and regeneration.