Functionalizable bacterial cellulose composite membrane for guided tissue regeneration

This research aims to develop guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membranes from bacterial cellulose (BC), a natural polysaccharide-based biopolymer. A double-layered BC composite membrane was prepared by coating the BC membrane with mixed carboxymethyl cellulose/poly(ethylene oxide) (CMC/PEO) fibers via electrospinning. The CMC/PEO-BC membranes were then characterized for their chemical and physical characteristics. The 8 % (wt/v) CMC/PEO (1:1) aqueous solution yielded well-defined electrospun CMC/PEO nanofibers (125 ± 10 nm) without beads. The CMC/PEO-BC membranes exhibited good mechanical and swelling properties as well as good cytocompatibility against human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLs). Its functionalizability via carboxyl entities in CMC was tested using the calcium-binding domain of plant-derived recombinant human osteopontin (p-rhOPN-C122). As evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a 98-99 % immobilization efficiency was achieved in a concentration-dependent manner over an applied p-rhOPN-C122 concentration range of 7.5-30 ng/mL. The biological function of the membrane was assessed by determining the expression levels of osteogenic-related gene transcripts using quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Mineralization assay indicated that the p-rhOPN-C122 immobilized CMC/PEO-BC membrane promoted hPDLs osteogenic differentiation. These results suggested that the developed membrane could serve as a promising GTR membrane for application in bone tissue regeneration.