3D Bioplotter Research Papers

The development of new biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration with high bioactivity abilities and antibacterial properties is being intensively investigated. We have synthesized nanocomposites formed by mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) in the ternary SiO2, CaO and P2O5 system doped with metallic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) that were homogenously embedded in the MBG matrices. Ag/MBG nanocomposites have been directly synthesized and silver species were spontaneously reduced to metallic AgNPs by high temperatures (700 °C) obtained of last MBG synthesis step. Three-dimensional silver-containing mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds were fabricated showing uniformly interconnected ultrapores, macropores and mesopores. The manufacture method consisted of a combination…

Silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite (SiHA) macroporous scaffolds have been prepared by robocasting. In order to optimize their bone regeneration properties, we have manufactured these scaffolds presenting different microstructures: nanocrystalline and crystalline. Moreover, their surfaces have been decorated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to evaluate the potential coupling between vascularization and bone regeneration. In vitro cell culture tests evidence that nanocrystalline SiHA hinders pre-osteblast proliferation, whereas the presence of VEGF enhances the biological functions of both endothelial cells and pre-osteoblasts. The bone regeneration capability has been evaluated using an osteoporotic sheep model. In vivo observations strongly correlate with in vitro cell culture…

There is an urgent need of biosynthetic bone grafts with enhanced osteogenic capacity. In this study, we describe the design of hierarchical meso-macroporous 3D-scaffolds based on mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs), enriched with the peptide osteostatin and Zn2+ ions, and their osteogenic effect on human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) as a preclinical strategy in bone regeneration. The MBG compositions investigated were 80%SiO2–15%CaO–5%P2O5 (in mol-%) Blank (BL), and two analogous glasses containing 4% ZnO (4ZN) and 5% ZnO (5ZN). By using additive fabrication techniques, scaffolds exhibiting hierarchical porosity: mesopores (around 4 nm), macropores (1–600 μm) and big channels (∼1000 μm), were prepared. These MBG scaffolds…

Bone infection is a feared complication following surgery or trauma that remains as an extremely difficult disease to deal with. So far, the outcome of therapy could be improved with the design of 3D implants, which combine the merits of osseous regeneration and local multidrug therapy so as to avoid bacterial growth, drug resistance and the feared side effects. Herein, hierarchical 3D multidrug scaffolds based on nanocomposite bioceramic and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) prepared by rapid prototyping with an external coating of gelatin-glutaraldehyde (Gel-Glu) have been fabricated. These 3D scaffolds contain three antimicrobial agents (rifampin, levofloxacin and vancomycin), which have been…

The current study reports on the manufacturing by rapid prototyping technique of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds based on silicon substituted hydroxyapatite with Elastin-like Recombinamers (ELRs) functionalized surfaces. Silicon doped hydroxyapatite (Si-HA), with Ca10(PO4)5.7(SiO4)0.3(OH)1.7h0.3 nominal formula, was surface functionalized with two different types of polymers designed by genetic engineering: ELR-RGD that contain cell attachment specific sequences and ELR-SNA15/RGD with both hydroxyapatite and cells domains that interact with the inorganic phase and with the cells, respectively. These hybrid materials were subjected to in vitro assays in order to clarify if the ELRs coating improved the well-known biocompatible and bone regeneration properties of calcium…

Mesoporous bioactive glass-polycaprolactone (MBG-PCL) scaffolds have been prepared by robocasting, a layer by layer rapid prototyping method, by stacking of individual strati. Each stratus was independently analyzed during the cell culture tests with MC3T3-E1 preosteblast-like cells. The presence of MBG stimulates the colonization of the scaffolds by increasing the cell proliferation and differentiation. MBG-PCL composites not only enhanced pre-osteoblast functions but also allowed cell movement along its surface, reaching the upper stratus faster than in pure PCL scaffolds. The cells behavior on each individual stratus revealed that the scaffolds colonization depends on the chemical stimuli supplied by the MBG dissolution…

3D scaffolds based in mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) are being widely investigated to use in bone tissue engineering (TE) applications. These scaffolds are often obtained by rapid prototyping (RP) and exhibit an array of interconnected pores in a hierarchy of sizes. The ordered mesopore network (around 4 nm in diameter) is optimal for the adsorption and release of bone inductor biomolecules, and the arrangement of macropores over 100 μm facilitates the bone cell ingrowths and angiogenesis. Nevertheless MBG composition can be varied almost infinitely at the atomic scale by including in the glass network oxides of inorganic elements with a…

Porous 3-D scaffolds consisting of gelatine and Si-doped hydroxyapatite were fabricated at room temperature by rapid prototyping. Microscopic characterization revealed a highly homogeneous structure, showing the pre-designed porosity (macroporosity) and a lesser in-rod porosity (microporosity). The mechanical properties of such scaffolds are close to those of trabecular bone of the same density. The biological behavior of these hybrid scaffolds is greater than that of pure ceramic scaffolds without gelatine, increasing pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell differentiation (matrix mineralization and gene expression). Since the fabrication process of these structures was carried out at mild conditions, an antibiotic (vancomycin) was incorporated in the slurry…

This study reports the design and preparation of zwitterionic nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) capable of inhibiting bacterial adhesion while allowing osteoblast cell colonization. The surface functionalization of HA powders was carried out by post-synthesis grafting of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and carboxyethylsilanetriol sodium salt (CES) as amine and carboxylate precursors, respectively. The successful functionalization of HA surfaces was assessed by elemental chemical analysis, FTIR, 29Si, 31P and 13C solid state CP/MAS NMR and ζ-potential measurements, and the zwitterionic nature of the synthesized HA was proved through the presence of –NH3+/–COO− pairs on the material surfaces. With the aim of evaluating the feasibility of…

Mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds (MBG_Scs), based on 80% SiO2–15% CaO–5% P2O5 (in mol.%) mesoporous sol–gel glasses substituted with Ce2O3, Ga2O3 (both 0.2% or 1.0%) and ZnO (0.4% or 2.0%), were synthesized by combination of evaporation-induced self-assembly and rapid prototyping techniques. Cerium, gallium and zinc trace elements were selected because of their inherent beneficial biological properties. Fabricated scaffolds were characterized and compared with unsubstituted scaffold (B_Sc). All of them contained well interconnected ultralarge pores (pores >400 μm) ideal for vascular ingrowth and proliferation of cells. Macropores of size 100–400 μm were present inside the scaffolds. In addition, low-angle X-ray diffraction showed…

Scaffolds made of polycaprolactone and nanocrystalline silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite have been fabricated by 3D printing rapid prototyping technique. To asses that the scaffolds fulfill the requirements to be considered for bone grafting applications, they were implanted in New Zealand rabbits. Histological and radiological studies have demonstrated that the scaffolds implanted in bone exhibited an excellent osteointegration without the interposition of fibrous tissue between bone and implants and without immune response after 4 months of implantation. In addition, we have evaluated the possibility of improving the scaffolds efficiency by incorporating demineralized bone matrix during the preparation by 3D printing. When demineralized bone…

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (107-111) (osteostatin) induces osteogenic effects in osteoblasts in vitro and in regenerating bone in mice and rabbits. In this study we used osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell cultures to evaluate and compare the bioactivity of this peptide either adsorbed or covalently bound (by its C-terminus) to Si-doped hydroxyapatite (Si-HA) scaffolds after organic (-NH2) functionalization. By these means osteostatin can be locally released or kept anchored to the scaffold surface. This was confirmed by chemical analysis and by testing the efficiency of osteostatin-loaded Si-HA scaffolds (placed in Transwell chambers) in healing a scratch wound in mouse pluripotent mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 cells.…

Herein we report for the first time the synthesis of three-dimensional scaffolds in the binary system SiO2–P2O5 exhibiting different scales of porosity: (i) highly ordered mesopores with diameters of ca. 4 nm; (ii) macropores with diameters in the 30–80 μm range with interconnections of ca. 2–4 and 8–9 μm; and (iii) ultra-large macropores of ca. 400 μm. The hierarchical porosity of the resulting scaffolds makes them suitable for bone tissue engineering applications. The chemical nature and mesoporosity of these matrices would allow these scaffolds to act as local controlled delivery systems of biologically active molecules, such as certain drugs to…

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are polypeptides that control the proliferation and differentiation of various cell types including osteoblasts. FGFs are also strong inducers of angiogenesis, necessary to obtain oxygen and nutrients during tissue repair. With the aim to incorporate these desirable FGF biological properties into bioceramics for bone repair, silicon substituted hydroxyapatites (Si-HA) were used as materials to immobilize bioactive FGF-1 and FGF-2. Thus, the binding of these growth factors to powdered Si-HA and Si-HA scaffolds was carried out efficiently in the present study and both FGFs maintained its biological activity on osteoblasts after its immobilization. The improvement of cell…