Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2025
10:19
Ceramic Omnidirectional Bioprinting in Cell-Laden Suspensions for the Generation of Bone Analogs
Published on: August 8, 2022
1.9K
Natural bone inspired core-shell triple-layered gel/PCL/gel 3D printed scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
Deepak Gupta1,2, Atul Kumar Singh3, Jayesh Bellare4,5,6,7
1Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America.
Biomedical Materials (Bristol, England)
|October 25, 2023
Summary
This study presents a novel 3D printed hybrid scaffold combining gel and polycaprolactone (PCL) for bone tissue engineering. The innovative scaffold demonstrates superior mechanical strength, controlled degradation, and enhanced bioactivity, promising for bone defect reconstruction.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Fabricating bone scaffolds with both high bioactivity and mechanical strength remains a challenge in bone tissue engineering.
- Existing scaffolds often compromise between promoting osteogenesis and load-bearing capacity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a 3D printed, multi-layered hybrid scaffold with enhanced mechanical properties and bioactivity for bone regeneration.
- To create a scaffold that supports osteogenesis while withstanding mechanical stress.
Main Methods:
- A triple-layered scaffold was fabricated using cryogenic 3D printing of a gelatin/carboxymethyl-chitin/nano-hydroxyapatite gel core.
- Micro-engineered polycaprolactone (PCL) was infused into the gel core with controlled penetration and coating thickness.
- The PCL surface was coated with a final gel matrix layer.
Main Results:
- The hybrid scaffold exhibited significantly improved compression strength (13.07 MPa) and modulus (21.8 MPa) after 8 weeks of degradation compared to gel scaffolds.
- Degradation rate and swelling were substantially reduced (83% and 81% reduction, respectively) compared to gel scaffolds.
- Cellular attachment, proliferation, protein production, and mineralization increased by 300%, 250%, 50%, and 440%, respectively, compared to PCL scaffolds.
Conclusions:
- The developed 3D printed hybrid scaffold offers a promising solution for bone tissue engineering due to its high mechanical strength, slow degradation, and excellent bioactivity.
- These multifunctional scaffolds are suitable for reconstructing various bone defects, including non-load-bearing and moderate load-bearing applications in craniomaxillofacial surgery.
