3D printed 13-93B3 borate bioactive glass/hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose/gelatin scaffolds with cerium oxide...

In this study, a novel hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC)/gelatin composite scaffold was prepared by incorporating 13-93B3 borate bioactive glass (BBG) microparticles and cerium oxide (CeO₂) submicrometric particles as a discrete phase, enabling higher ceria loadings without disrupting the bioactive glass chemistry. Composite hydrogel inks containing 5 wt% BBG microparticles and up to 20 wt% submicrometric CeO₂particles were successfully extrusion-printed into porous scaffolds with interconnected pore architecture. CeO₂incorporation preserved printability and mechanical strength while significantly enhancing scaffold deformation ability. Degradation behavior was tunable, with BBG microparticles reducing swelling and CeO₂submicrometric particles modulating water uptake and pH evolution. BBG microparticles and CeO₂submicrometric particles synergistically promoted apatite formation following 7 d of SBF incubation.In vitrostudies using MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts confirmed high cytocompatibility and Alizarin red study showed enhanced mineralization in CeO₂-containing scaffolds. Additionally, BBG and CeO₂incorporated scaffolds exhibited strong antibacterial activity againstS. aureusandE. coli. Overall, this multifunctional scaffold platform demonstrates promise for bone tissue engineering applications.