A mechanically reinforced nano-montmorillonite-based injectable hydrogel supporting bone-related cell migration

The use of nano-montmorillonite (MMT) as a mechanical reinforcing filler in non-autologous implants to promote cell proliferation and migration represents a potential strategy for bone regeneration. In this work, a thermosensitive injectable hydrogel (F@MMT) was fabricated as an in situ-forming system using narrow MMT nanosheets. The incorporation of MMT nanosheets enhanced the mechanical properties of the crosslinked hydrogel and created uniform MMT active sites in the microporous network. At the optimal formulation, the storage modulus increased by 21.14% with rapid crosslinking within 30-50 s at 37 °C. In vitro experiments confirmed the F@MMT biocompatibility and its features that promote cell migration in HUVECs and MC3T3-E1 cells, which contribute to supporting cellular activities in bone-related tissue repair. These results indicate that the F@MMT hydrogel exhibits potential as an injectable bioactive material for bone regeneration applications.