Characterization of Novel Nano-Composite Biomaterials for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications

J. P. CATTALINI; J. GARCÍA; A. R. BOCCACCINI; S. LUCANGIOLI; V. MOURIÑO

Wurzburgo

Conferencia; 3rd International Conference Strategies in Tissue Engineering; 2012

Bioactive ceramics are being widely used by combination with polymers to develop composite biomaterials, with suitable mechanical properties required for bone tissue engineering (BTE)1. The incorporation of bioactive glass nanoparticles (BGN) into a polymer matrix leads also to nanotopographic features that resemble the nanostructure of bone matrix. BGN are highly bioactive materials and their dissolution products have been shown to stimulate bone formation and its vascularisation. In addition, metallic ions such as Ca2+ and Cu2+ are being investigated for their osteogenic and angiogenic effects, respectively. These considerations prompted us to develop and characterize novel nano-composite films made from a polymer, alginate (ALG), and BGN, loaded with Ca2+ or Cu2+, to evaluate the viability of using these biomaterials to develop multifunctional composite scaffolds for BTE. Materials & Methods: Films morphology was analyzed by SEM. Tensile strength tests were performed by using a dynamometer at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. Bioactivity of films was evaluated in simulated body fluid (SBF), and the hydroxyapatite (HA) growth on film surfaces was confirmed by XRD. Degradation and swelling assays of films were made in PBS. SEM observations showed films with uniform surface morphology. The tensile strengths of the films with BGN were significantly higher than that of films without BGN. Bioactivity studies confirmed that HA crystals grew on films surface. Degradation assay showed that films still remained shaped until day 60 in phosphate buffer, but Cu-films showed higher weight loss when compared with Ca-films. Both films have a little swelling capacity. Two novel composite films with different degradation times but uniform surface morphology and with suitable biodegradability, bioactive characteristics, and mechanical properties were developed. Our next steps will be aimed at testing the ability of the composite films to produce osteogenic and angiogenic effects by tailored in vitro studies as a further step in the elaboration of 3D multifunctional scaffolds for BTE applications.