Bioactive Composite Methacrylated Gellan Gum for 3D-Printed Bone Tissue-Engineered Scaffolds
Ugo D'Amora1, Alfredo Ronca1, Stefania Scialla1
1Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, 80125 Naples, Italy.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 25, 2023
Summary
Methacrylated gellan gum (GGMA) inks functionalized with eumelanin or hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were 3D printed into bone tissue scaffolds. These scaffolds supported osteoblast growth and differentiation, showing potential for bone tissue engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- 3D Printing
Background:
- Gellan gum (GG) was chemically modified to create photocrosslinkable methacrylated GG (GGMA) biomaterial ink.
- GGMA exhibits improved physico-chemical properties, mechanical behavior, and stability under physiological conditions.
- Bioactive compounds, specifically black soldier fly-derived eumelanin (BSF-Eumel) and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAp), were incorporated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate 3D-printable biomaterial inks based on GGMA functionalized with BSF-Eumel or HAp.
- To assess the morphological, mechanical, and structural properties of the resulting 3D-printed scaffolds.
- To investigate the in vitro biocompatibility and osteogenic potential of the bioactivated scaffolds.
Main Methods:
- GGMA inks were formulated with varying concentrations of GGMA, BSF-Eumel, or HAp.
- Scaffolds were fabricated using 3D printing technology.
- Characterization included morphological analysis, mechanical testing (storage modulus), stability assessment, and in vitro cell culture studies with 7F2 osteoblasts.
Main Results:
- All functionalized GGMA ink formulations yielded well-organized 3D-printed scaffolds.
- Scaffolds with 4% GGMA and 45% infill exhibited optimal morphological and mechanical properties and structural integrity over 28 days.
- GGMA/BSF-Eumel scaffolds showed enhanced stability, while GGMA/HAp scaffolds (30% HAp) demonstrated a 3.5-fold increase in storage modulus compared to neat GGMA.
- In vitro studies confirmed scaffold support for osteoblast growth and differentiation, with BSF-Eumel promoting proliferation and HAp enhancing alkaline phosphatase activity.
Conclusions:
- Functionalized GGMA-based biomaterial inks are suitable for 3D printing bone tissue-engineered scaffolds.
- The incorporation of BSF-Eumel or HAp modulates scaffold properties and cellular responses.
- These findings highlight the potential of these advanced biomaterials for bone regeneration applications.
