Final Report Summary - BIOSCA (Intelligent and reinforced tissue scaffolds for regenerative biomedicine)
The generation of biocompatible materials, with enough reactivity for cells to attach easily, and a macroporous structure that allows the three dimensional colonisation of deep areas of the scaffold is nowadays the main objective of bone tissue regeneration research.
To achieve this objective, several approaches have been proposed:
1. carbon nanotubes - mesoporous silica composites for bone regeneration and drug delivery
It has been studied for the first time, the synthesis of a composite material in order to achieve the future possible control of the cell regeneration using well known properties of mesoporous silica (as drug delivery) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (electrically conductive).
The addition of the CNTs improves bioceramic properties as they become conductors and the resistivity values decreased drastically with a reduction of up to eight orders of magnitude. This is direct evidence that electrical stimulation can be performed as the composites proved to be high current conductors. Cell proliferation studies are being performed stimulating Osteoblast-like cells (HOS) with electrical currents from 1-10 microA, further experimental research data will be published.
2. Hydroxyapatite (HA) systems for bone regeneration
The main requirement in bone tissue engineering is to enhance the chemical reaction leading the formation of nano-apatites as precursors of newly formed bone. To this end, it is necessary to design highly porous pieces, which must also include a certain degree of macropores to ensure bone oxygenation and angiogenesis.
2.1 Bimodal meso/macro porous HA coatings
New coatings technologies require the possibility of depositing porous coatings with higher specific surface areas for increasing the implant tissue contact interface, thereby improving the bone implant integration. Highly homogeneous, adhesive and crack-free coatings of pure porous nanocrystalline HA have been deposited onto Ti6Al4V substrates. These films present mesopores between 4.5 and 10 nm, they are very promising candidates to be loaded with biologically active molecules of certain sizes that could be confined inside the pores (peptides, proteins or growth factors), which might help cell attachment to the surface.
2.2 Macroporous sol-gel HA molding via confinement into shaped polymers
Acrylate salts and acrylamide have been extensively used for retaining or absorbing large amounts of water or ionic species. This polymers' capability has been used as a new way to obtain porous spheres of nanocrystalline HA.
3. Biopolymer-coated HA foams
3.1 They have been proposed as a new antidote for heavy metal intoxication and water purification.
3.2. Performance of the coated foams as bone implant for tissue engineering
HA 3D foams are being studied in in vivo experiments as they show an improved mechanical performance as the coating provides and confers to them flexibility and handle ability.
4. Current active lines opened during the course of the project
4.1 Graphene oxide for photothermal therapy
The hyperthermal therapy of tumours has been investigated as a minimally invasive alternative to surgery that can induce lethal damage to cellular components at temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.
4.2 3D scaffolds functionalised and reinforced with recombinant protein polymers for regenerative medicine. The objective is to use a novel recombinant elastin-like polymer in combination with HA scaffolds to enhance the biological activity of implants.
Social-economical benefits are implicit on the research on new materials for medical applications as biomaterials represent an important market share on the health key sector. Nearly 75 million patients on a worldwide basis, suffer from bone diseases. The aim of this project was to give new approaches for producing bone regenerators to improve the health- related quality of life for people with musculoskeletal disorders and solutions to avoid human and water heavy-metal poisoning.
To achieve this objective, several approaches have been proposed:
1. carbon nanotubes - mesoporous silica composites for bone regeneration and drug delivery
It has been studied for the first time, the synthesis of a composite material in order to achieve the future possible control of the cell regeneration using well known properties of mesoporous silica (as drug delivery) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (electrically conductive).
The addition of the CNTs improves bioceramic properties as they become conductors and the resistivity values decreased drastically with a reduction of up to eight orders of magnitude. This is direct evidence that electrical stimulation can be performed as the composites proved to be high current conductors. Cell proliferation studies are being performed stimulating Osteoblast-like cells (HOS) with electrical currents from 1-10 microA, further experimental research data will be published.
2. Hydroxyapatite (HA) systems for bone regeneration
The main requirement in bone tissue engineering is to enhance the chemical reaction leading the formation of nano-apatites as precursors of newly formed bone. To this end, it is necessary to design highly porous pieces, which must also include a certain degree of macropores to ensure bone oxygenation and angiogenesis.
2.1 Bimodal meso/macro porous HA coatings
New coatings technologies require the possibility of depositing porous coatings with higher specific surface areas for increasing the implant tissue contact interface, thereby improving the bone implant integration. Highly homogeneous, adhesive and crack-free coatings of pure porous nanocrystalline HA have been deposited onto Ti6Al4V substrates. These films present mesopores between 4.5 and 10 nm, they are very promising candidates to be loaded with biologically active molecules of certain sizes that could be confined inside the pores (peptides, proteins or growth factors), which might help cell attachment to the surface.
2.2 Macroporous sol-gel HA molding via confinement into shaped polymers
Acrylate salts and acrylamide have been extensively used for retaining or absorbing large amounts of water or ionic species. This polymers' capability has been used as a new way to obtain porous spheres of nanocrystalline HA.
3. Biopolymer-coated HA foams
3.1 They have been proposed as a new antidote for heavy metal intoxication and water purification.
3.2. Performance of the coated foams as bone implant for tissue engineering
HA 3D foams are being studied in in vivo experiments as they show an improved mechanical performance as the coating provides and confers to them flexibility and handle ability.
4. Current active lines opened during the course of the project
4.1 Graphene oxide for photothermal therapy
The hyperthermal therapy of tumours has been investigated as a minimally invasive alternative to surgery that can induce lethal damage to cellular components at temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.
4.2 3D scaffolds functionalised and reinforced with recombinant protein polymers for regenerative medicine. The objective is to use a novel recombinant elastin-like polymer in combination with HA scaffolds to enhance the biological activity of implants.
Social-economical benefits are implicit on the research on new materials for medical applications as biomaterials represent an important market share on the health key sector. Nearly 75 million patients on a worldwide basis, suffer from bone diseases. The aim of this project was to give new approaches for producing bone regenerators to improve the health- related quality of life for people with musculoskeletal disorders and solutions to avoid human and water heavy-metal poisoning.
