Issue 11, 2021

Engineering 3D-printed core–shell hydrogel scaffolds reinforced with hybrid hydroxyapatite/polycaprolactone nanoparticles for in vivo bone regeneration

Abstract

The versatility of 3D printing has rendered it an indispensable tool for the fabrication of composite hydrogel scaffolds, offering bone biomimetic features through inorganic and biopolymeric components as promising platforms for osteoregeneration. In this work, extrusion-based 3D printing was employed for the realization of osteoconductive composite biopolymer-based hydrogel scaffolds reinforced with hybrid bioactive hydroxyapatite/polycaprolactone nanoparticles (HAp/PCL NPs) for osteoregeneration. The printing technique was optimized for ink printability and viscosity and crosslinking parameters, where a biopolymeric blend of gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol and hyaluronic acid was developed as innovative plain polymeric ink (PPI). Scaffolds were fabricated by 3D printing adopting a biphasic core/shell geometry, where the core phase of the scaffolds was reinforced with HAp/PCL NPs; the scaffolds were then freeze-dried. Novel composite freeze-dried, loaded-core scaffolds, HAp/PCL NPs-LCS-FD exhibited controlled swelling and maintained structural integrity for 28 days. The developed HAp/PCL NPs-LCS-FD also demonstrated double-ranged pore size, interconnected porosity and efficient mechanical stiffness and strength, favorable for osteoconductive actions. Cell infiltration studies, computed tomography and histomorphometry demonstrated that HAp/PCL NPs-LCS-FD afforded osteoconduction, biodegradation, biocompatibility and bone healing in rabbit tibial model, acting as a template for new bone formation. Our findings suggest that HAp/PCL NPs-LCS-FD could offer prominent bone regeneration and could be involved in various bone defects.

Graphical abstract: Engineering 3D-printed core–shell hydrogel scaffolds reinforced with hybrid hydroxyapatite/polycaprolactone nanoparticles for in vivo bone regeneration

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Jan 2021
Accepted
06 Apr 2021
First published
06 Apr 2021

Biomater. Sci., 2021,9, 4019-4039

Engineering 3D-printed core–shell hydrogel scaffolds reinforced with hybrid hydroxyapatite/polycaprolactone nanoparticles for in vivo bone regeneration

S. E. El-Habashy, A. H. El-Kamel, M. M. Essawy, E. A. Abdelfattah and H. M. Eltaher, Biomater. Sci., 2021, 9, 4019 DOI: 10.1039/D1BM00062D

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