Alginate hydrogels containing different concentrations of magnesium-containing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres for bone tissue engineering

Abstract

The easy loss of crosslinking ions in alginate can result in structural collapse and loss of its characteristics as a bone scaffold. A novel injectable tissue engineering scaffold containing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres and alginate was fabricated to improve alginate’s physiochemical and biological properties. MgCO3 and MgO were loaded at a 1:1 ratio into PLGA microspheres to form biodegradable PLGA microspheres containing magnesium (PMg). Subsequently, different concentrations of PMg were mixed into a Ca2+ suspension and employed as crosslinking agents for an alginate hydrogel. A pure Ca2+ suspension was used as the alginate crosslinking agent in the control group. The influence of PMg on the physiochemical properties of the injectable scaffolds, including the surface morphology, degradation rate, Mg2+ precipitation concentration, and the swelling rate, was investigated. MC3T3-E1 cells were seeded onto the hydrogels to evaluate the effect of the resultant alginate on osteoblastic attachment, proliferation, and differentiation. The physicochemical properties of the hydrogels, including morphology, degradation rate, and swelling ratio, were effectively tuned by PMg. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy results showed that, in contrast to those in pure PMg, the magnesium ions (Mg2+) in alginate hydrogel containing PMg microspheres (Alg-PMg) were released in a dose-dependent and slow-releasing manner. Additionally, Alg-PMg with an appropriate concentration of PMg not only improved cell attachment and proliferation but also upregulated alkaline phosphatase activity, gene expression of osteogenic markers, and related growth factors. These findings indicate that PMg incorporation can regulate the physicochemical properties of alginate hydrogels. The resultant hydrogel promoted cell attachment, matrix mineralization, and bone regeneration. The hydrogel described in this study can be considered a promising injectable scaffold for bone tissue engineering.