Raymond and Beverly Sackler Center for Biomedical, Biological, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Institute for Regenerative Engineering, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
Regen Biomater. 2014 Nov;1(1):3-9. doi: 10.1093/rb/rbu002. Epub 2014 Oct 20.
Bone is an essential organ for health and quality of life. Due to current shortfalls in therapy for bone tissue engineering, scientists have sought the application of synthetic materials as bone graft substitutes. As a composite organic/inorganic material with significant extra cellular matrix (ECM), one way to improve bone graft substitutes may be to engineer a synthetic matrix that is influenced by the physical appearance of natural ECM networks. In this work, the authors evaluate composite, hybrid scaffolds for bone tissue engineering based on composite ceramic/polymer microsphere scaffolds with synthetic ECM-mimetic networks in their pore spaces. Using thermally induced phase separation, nanoscale fibers were deposited in the pore spaces of structurally sound microsphere-based scaffold with a density proportionate to the initial polymer concentration. Porosimetry and mechanical testing indicated no significant changes in overall pore characteristics or mechanical integrity as a result of the fiber deposition process. These scaffolds displayed adequate mechanical integrity on the scale of human trabecular bone and supported the adhesion and proliferation of cultured mouse calvarial osteoblasts. Drawing from natural cues, these scaffolds may represent a new avenue forward for advanced bone tissue engineering scaffolds.
骨骼是健康和生活质量的重要器官。由于目前在骨组织工程治疗方面存在不足，科学家们一直在寻求将合成材料应用于骨移植物替代物。作为一种具有显著细胞外基质（ECM）的复合材料，一种改善骨移植物替代物的方法可能是设计一种受天然 ECM 网络物理外观影响的合成基质。在这项工作中，作者基于具有合成 ECM 模拟网络的复合陶瓷/聚合物微球支架，评估了用于骨组织工程的复合、混合支架。通过热致相分离，纳米纤维沉积在结构完好的基于微球的支架的孔隙中，其密度与初始聚合物浓度成比例。通过孔隙率和机械测试表明，纤维沉积过程对整体孔隙特征或机械完整性没有显著影响。这些支架在人类小梁骨的尺度上表现出足够的机械完整性，并支持培养的小鼠颅骨成骨细胞的黏附和增殖。这些支架借鉴了自然线索，可能为先进的骨组织工程支架提供了一个新的途径。
