Abstract
Bone tissue engineering is a rapidly growing field which is currently progressing toward clinical applications. Effective imaging methods for longitudinal studies are critical to evaluating the new bone formation and the fate of the scaffolds. Computed tomography (CT) is a prevailing technique employed to investigate hard tissue scaffolds; however, the CT signal becomes weak in mainly-water containing materials, which hinders the use of CT for hydrogels-based materials. Nevertheless, hydrogels such as gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) are widely used for tissue regeneration due to their optimal biological properties and their ability to induce extracellular matrix formation. To date, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been suggested as promising contrast agents, due to their high X-ray attenuation, biocompatibility, and low toxicity. In this study, the effects of different sizes and concentrations of AuNPs on the mechanical properties and the cytocompatibility of the bulk GelMA-AuNPs scaffolds were evaluated. Furthermore, the enhancement of CT contrast with the cytocompatible size and concentration of AuNPs were investigated. 3D printed GelMA and GelMA-AuNPs scaffolds were obtained and assessed for the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Lastly, 3D printed GelMA and GelMA-AuNPs scaffolds were scanned in a bone defect utilizing µCT as the proof of concept that the GelMA-AuNPs are good candidates for bone tissue engineering with enhanced visibility for µCT imaging.
Highlights
Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a rapidly growing field, with the research being conducted in various fields, including engineering, pharmaceutics, and medicine [1,2]
We evaluated the effect of different sizes and concentrations of AuNPs on the mechanical properties and cytocompatibility of the gelatin methacrylate (GelMA)-AuNPs scaffolds
Cellular metabolic activity of the L929 cell line significantly decreased for AuNP concentrations at 0.4 mM, for both 40 nm and 60 nm sized nanoparticles (Figure 2a)
Summary
Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a rapidly growing field, with the research being conducted in various fields, including engineering, pharmaceutics, and medicine [1,2]. The scope of bone tissue engineering has recently expanded beyond in vitro and animal studies, and is currently progressing toward clinical applications. Effectual imaging methods for longitudinal studies are critical to evaluating the outcomes of tissue engineered constructs. Polymers 2019, 11, 367 providing 3D information, which significantly hinders the use of such conventional methods for in vivo and preclinical applications [3]. An increasing number of recent tissue engineering studies feature the compatibility of the utilized 3D scaffolds with different advanced imaging modalities [4,5,6,7]. Computed tomography (CT) is used in the staging and imaging-guided intervention of various diseases, producing 3D information regarding its non-invasive nature, a high resolution, and deep tissue penetration [8]
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