The role of rare earth elements in bone tissue engineering scaffolds - A review

Abstract

Rare earth elements (REEs) have gained spotlights with particular features to promote bone regeneration. Therefore, the introduction of appropriate REEs into bone tissue engineering (BTE) scaffolds is nowadays a promising strategy in order to achieve optimized bone repair performances. In this review, direct uses of REE compound nanoadditives in BTE scaffolds are first of all reviewed to illustrate the fundamental effects of REE towards bone regeneration. Then the Re-containing biodegradable porous alloys and Re-doped bioceramic-based scaffolds are discussed, respectively. REEs play functional roles in those materials with physical, chemical and biological improvements. Moreover, REEs-related biological effects including osteogenic, angiogenic and anti-bacterial properties that facilitate bone regeneration are also reviewed. This study is aiming to invoke diverse and comprehensive studies to investigate and improve the utilization of REEs in bone tissue engineering.