A Copolymer Scaffold Functionalized with Nanodiamond Particles Enhances Osteogenic Metabolic Activity and Bone Regeneration

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience Vol. 17; no. 6
• Main Authors: Yassin, Mohammed A., Mustafa, Kamal, Xing, Zhe, Sun, Yang, Fasmer, Kristine Eldevik, Waag, Thilo, Krueger, Anke, Steinmüller‐Nethl, Doris, Finne‐Wistrand, Anna, Leknes, Knut N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-06-2017
• Subjects: Adsorption; Albumin; Albumins; Animals; Binding sites; Biomedical materials; Biomolecules; Bone marrow; bone marrow stromal cells; Bone Regeneration - drug effects; bone tissue engineering; Caproates - chemistry; Caproates - therapeutic use; Cell Adhesion - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Computed tomography; Diamonds; Humans; hydrophilicity; Lactones - chemistry; Lactones - therapeutic use; Metabolism; Mineralization; Nanodiamonds - chemistry; Nanodiamonds - therapeutic use; nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Osteoconduction; Osteogenesis - drug effects; polyesters; Rats; Regeneration; Regeneration (physiology); Scaffolding; Scaffolds; Stromal cells; Surface properties; Surface Properties - drug effects; Tissue engineering; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry; Wettability; bone marrow stromal cells; nanoparticles; bone tissue engineering; polyesters; hydrophilicity
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201600427

Functionalizing polymer scaffolds with nanodiamond particles (nDPs) has pronounced effect on the surface properties, such as improved wettability, an increased active area and binding sites for cellular attachment and adhesion, and increased ability to immobilize biomolecules by physical adsorption. This study aims to evaluate the effect of poly(l‐lactide‐co‐ε‐caprolactone) (poly(LLA‐co‐CL)) scaffolds, functionalized with nDPs, on bone regeneration in a rat calvarial critical size defect. Poly(LLA‐co‐CL) scaffolds functionalized with nDPs are also compared with pristine scaffolds with reference to albumin adsorption and seeding efficiency of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Compared with pristine scaffolds, the experimental scaffolds exhibit a reduction in albumin adsorption and a significant increase in the seeding efficiency of BMSCs (p = 0.027). In the calvarial defects implanted with BMSC‐seeded poly(LLA‐co‐CL)/nDPs scaffolds, live imaging at 12 weeks discloses a significant increase in osteogenic metabolic activity (p = 0.016). Microcomputed tomography, confirmed by histological data, reveals a substantial increase in bone volume (p = 0.021). The results show that compared with conventional poly(LLA‐co‐CL) scaffolds those functionalized with nDPs promote osteogenic metabolic activity and mineralization capacity. It is concluded that poly(LLA‐co‐CL) composite matrices functionalized with nDPs enhance osteoconductivity and therefore warrant further study as potential scaffolding material for bone tissue engineering.
Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are isolated and expanded in vitro for days. The expanded cells are seeded into the copolymer scaffolds functionalized with nanodiamond particles (nDPs). The constructs are used to treat calvarial bone defects and followed‐up for 12 weeks.