Bone-like apatite formation in biocompatible phosphate-crosslinked bacterial cellulose-based hydrogels for bone
Maduru Suneetha1, Hyeonjin Kim1, Sung Soo Han2
1School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-Ro, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38541, Republic of Korea.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|November 24, 2023
Summary
This study developed phosphate-functionalized bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrogels for bone regeneration. These enhanced BC scaffolds exhibit improved mechanical properties and biomineralization, showing promise for bone tissue engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Major bone injuries pose significant challenges in regeneration.
- Bacterial cellulose (BC) offers excellent biocompatibility and structural properties for bone scaffolds.
- BC's limited osteogenic activity and biomineralization hinder its application in bone regeneration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize bone-like apatite within biocompatible BC hydrogels by introducing phosphate groups.
- To enhance the physicochemical and biological properties of BC hydrogels for bone tissue engineering.
- To evaluate the potential of phosphate-functionalized BC hydrogels as scaffolds for bone regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Hydrogels were prepared using bacterial cellulose (BC), acrylamide (AM), and bis [2-methacryloyloxy] ethyl phosphate (BMEP) via free radical polymerization.
- The influence of BMEP content on hydrogel properties was systematically investigated.
- Biomineralization was assessed by soaking hydrogels in simulated body fluid (SBF).
- Material characterization included FTIR, XRD, and FE-SEM.
- Cell attachment and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells were evaluated.
Main Results:
- Phosphate-functionalized BC-PAM hydrogels (P-BC-PAM) demonstrated enhanced compressive mechanical properties, interconnected porous structures, good swelling, and biodegradability.
- Increasing BMEP content improved fibrous structure, porosity (85.1% to 89.5%), and mechanical strength.
- The optimized 2.0P-BC-PAM hydrogel exhibited superior compressive stress (221 kPa), toughness (24,674 kPa), and elastic modulus (11 kPa).
- P-BC-PAM hydrogels successfully underwent biomineralization in SBF, forming bone-like apatite with a Ca/P ratio of 1.75.
- MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells showed effective attachment and proliferation on the P-BC-PAM scaffolds.
Conclusions:
- Phosphate functionalization significantly enhances the properties of BC-based hydrogels for bone tissue engineering.
- The developed P-BC-PAM hydrogels possess favorable mechanical strength, porosity, and biomineralization capabilities.
- These hydrogels support osteoblast cell adhesion and proliferation, indicating their potential as effective bone regeneration scaffolds.
