Engineered Bioactive Bone Scaffolds
Large bone defects remain a substantial clinical challenge Typically, such defects are treated by autologous bone grafts. However, limited availability and donor site morbidity emphasize the need for engineered scaffolds. Polymer-ceramic scaffolds exhibiting mechanical and structural properties similar to bone are an alternative However, bone is also piezoelectric, thus, under mechanical load it produces electrical charges that play an instructive role in tissue regeneration.
In this project, we follow a holistic bottom-up approach to produce electroactive scaffolds. Piezoelectric nanoparticles are used as fillers for polymer scaffolds to mimic bone tissue beyond mechanical properties and mineral composition. The bone scaffolds are produced by an improved solvent casting particle leaching method. Their efficacy towards bone growth is tested by time-lapsed microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) in static and dynamic bioreactor cultures using human bone marrow stem cells. This approach allows us to test different scaffold compositions, enabling us to develop bioactive scaffold materials with osteoinductive properties.
Collaborators:
Prof. Sotiris Pratsinis, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Particle Technology Laboratory, ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
Contact
Institut für Biomechanik
Gloriastrasse 37/ 39
8092
Zürich
Switzerland
