Hydrogel-Impregnated Self-Oxygenating Electrospun Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Bone defects from trauma, disease, or aging pose clinical challenges.
• Existing bone-tissue engineering scaffolds often lack sufficient mechanical strength and bioactive agents.
• Adequate oxygen supply is crucial for bone formation, yet hypoxia is common in bone diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop self-oxygenating composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.
• To investigate the potential of these scaffolds for enhancing cell survival and bone formation, particularly under hypoxic conditions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun scaffolds impregnated with gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel.
• Incorporation of calcium peroxide (CaO2) nanoparticles into PCL scaffolds to enable sustained oxygen release.
• Evaluation of scaffold-induced oxygen generation, mechanical properties, cytocompatibility, and pre-osteoblast response under hypoxic conditions.

Main Results:

• Increased CaO2 nanoparticle content significantly enhanced oxygen generation, modulated by GelMA impregnation.
• The composite scaffolds exhibited improved cytocompatibility, pre-osteoblast adhesion, and proliferation under hypoxia.
• CaO2 nanoparticles improved scaffold mechanical properties, while GelMA enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation.

Conclusions:

• Developed self-oxygenating composite scaffolds show promise for bone tissue engineering.
• These scaffolds effectively deliver oxygen, enhance cell viability, and promote osteogenic activity, especially in hypoxic environments.
• The combination of PCL, GelMA, and CaO2 offers a multifunctional biomaterial solution for challenging bone defects.