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Microsphere-based scaffolds encapsulating tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite for bone regeneration

  • Engineering and Nano-engineering Approaches for Medical Devices
  • Original Research
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Abstract

Bioceramic mixtures of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) are widely used for bone regeneration because of their excellent cytocompatibility, osteoconduction, and osteoinduction. Therefore, we hypothesized that incorporation of a mixture of TCP and HAp in microsphere-based scaffolds would enhance osteogenesis of rat bone marrow stromal cells (rBMSCs) compared to a positive control of scaffolds with encapsulated bone-morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2). Poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microsphere-based scaffolds encapsulating TCP and HAp mixtures in two different ratios (7:3 and 1:1) were fabricated with the same net ceramic content (30 wt%) to evaluate how incorporation of these ceramic mixtures would affect the osteogenesis in rBMSCs. Encapsulation of TCP/HAp mixtures impacted microsphere morphologies and the compressive moduli of the scaffolds. Additionally, TCP/HAp mixtures enhanced the end-point secretion of extracellular matrix components relevant to bone tissue compared to the “blank” (PLGA-only) microsphere-based scaffolds as evidenced by the biochemical, gene expression, histology, and immunohistochemical characterization. Moreover, the TCP/HAp mixture groups even surpassed the BMP-2 positive control group in some instances in terms of matrix synthesis and gene expression. Lastly, gene expression data suggested that the rBMSCs responded differently to different TCP/HAp ratios presented to them. Altogether, it can be concluded that TCP/HAp mixtures stimulated the differentiation of rBMSCs toward an osteoblastic phenotype, and therefore may be beneficial in gradient microsphere-based scaffolds for osteochondral regeneration.

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Acknowledgments

This publication was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (R01 AR056347). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. We would also like to recognize support from the Kansas Bioscience Authority Rising Star Award. In addition, we thank Prem Thapa for his assistance with SEM imaging and EDS mapping.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Vineet Gupta & Michael S. Detamore

  2. Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, The University of Kansas, 4149 Learned Hall 1530 W. 15th Street, Lawrence, KS, 66045-7618, USA

    Dina V. Lyne, Cory J. Berkland & Michael S. Detamore

  3. Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Marilyn Barragan

  4. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Cory J. Berkland

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  1. Vineet Gupta
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Correspondence to Michael S. Detamore.

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Gupta, V., Lyne, D.V., Barragan, M. et al. Microsphere-based scaffolds encapsulating tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite for bone regeneration. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 27, 121 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-016-5734-1

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