Injectable and Assembled Calcium Sulfate/Magnesium Silicate 3D Scaffold Promotes Bone Repair by In Situ...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) results in bone death due to inadequate blood supply.
• Current treatments for ONFH lack effective materials for bone regeneration.
• An injectable, self-setting 3D porous bioceramic scaffold (Mg@Ca) was developed to address these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the biocompatibility and osteogenic potential of the Mg@Ca scaffold in vitro.
• To assess the efficacy of the Mg@Ca scaffold in promoting bone repair in a rabbit ONFH model.
• To identify key molecular pathways involved in Mg@Ca-mediated bone regeneration.

Main Methods:

• In vitro studies utilized human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (h-BMSCs) to assess cell proliferation, differentiation, and osteogenic marker expression.
• Transcriptome sequencing was performed to identify bone development-related signaling pathways.
• In vivo experiments involved a rabbit model of ONFH to evaluate the scaffold's bone repair capabilities.

Main Results:

• The Mg@Ca scaffold demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, supporting h-BMSC proliferation and differentiation with increased expression of COL1A1 and BGLAP.
• Transcriptome analysis revealed the activation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, crucial for osteogenesis.
• In vivo studies showed enhanced trabecular density and bone volume in the Mg@Ca treated group, indicating effective bone regeneration.

Conclusions:

• The injectable and self-setting Mg@Ca scaffold is a promising therapeutic strategy for ONFH.
• This biomaterial facilitates minimally invasive bone defect repair and stimulates natural bone regeneration.
• The scaffold's properties make it suitable for clinical applications in treating ONFH and other bone defects.