Abstract
In clinical practice, bone defects still remain a challenge. In recent years, apart from the osteoconductivity that most bone void fillers already provide, osteoinductivity has also been emphasized to promote bone healing. Stromal-cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) has been shown to have the ability to recruit mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which play an important role in the bone regeneration process. In this study, we developed a gelatin–hyaluronate (Gel-HA) copolymer mixed with calcium sulfate (CS), hydroxyapatite (HAP), and SDF-1 in order to enhance bone regeneration in a bone defect model. The composites were tested in vitro for biocompatibility and their ability to recruit MSCs after material characterization. For the in vivo test, a rat femoral condyle bone defect model was used. Micro computed tomography (Micro-CT), two-photon excitation microscopy, and histology analysis were performed to assess bone regeneration. As expected, enhanced bone regeneration was well observed in the group filled with Gel-HA/CS/HAP/SDF-1 composites compared with the control group in our animal model. Furthermore, detailed blood analysis of rats showed no obvious systemic toxicity or side effects after material implantation. In conclusion, the Gel-HA/CS/HAP/SDF-1 composite may be a safe and applicable material to enhance bone regeneration in bone defects.
Highlights
Bone defect is a common clinical scenario during treatment of bone-related pathology
Comparing the patterns of calcium sulfate (Figure 1d) and the Gel-HA/Calcium sulfate (CS)/HAP composite (Figure 1g), it was confirmed that the composite did contain calcium sulfate, which did not change in structure after the crosslinking process
Comparing the pattern of the hydroxyapatite prepared in this study (Figure 1e) and the standard pattern provided by the Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards (JCPDS) (Figure 1f), the prepared hydroxyapatite was consistent with the standard, thePEER
Summary
Bone defect is a common clinical scenario during treatment of bone-related pathology. Comminuted fractures, neoplasms, and bone infections are common causes of bone defect [1]. Apart from autografts or allografts, different kinds of synthetic bone substitutes have been used by clinical doctors for decades to treat bone defects [2,3,4]. Calcium sulfate (CS) has been used to treat bone defects since 1892 and is still presently useful for different pathologies [5,6]. The rapid resorption of CS may cause some problems, including serious wound discharge or delayed bone union [8,9]. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) are both osteoconductive and have been widely used for bone defects [10,11].
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