Bioactive and bactericidal scaffolds for bone regeneration via 3D printing

• Grant number: 18/26060-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): April 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Antonio Pessan
• Grantee: Samarah Vargas Harb
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 21/11538-8 - Bioactivity and bactericidal action of 3D printed PLA-TCP scaffolds modified with SiO2, ZnO and CeO2 applied for bone tissue engineering, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

3D printing has revolutionized the medical field, especially the manufacture of orthopedic prostheses, due to the versatility of adaptation of the prosthesis to a certain defect/person, the low cost, the speed to print the desired material and the possibility of accelerating osseointegration due to the porous structure of the scaffolds, decreasing the recovery time of the patient and the need for additional surgical interventions. Bioactive and biodegradable scaffolds that mimic the natural extracellular matrix of bone (architecture, biochemistry and mechanical properties) act as temporary molds to guide the growth of new tissue. This project aims to produce scaffolds composed of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-beta tricalcium phosphate (²-TCP) modified by (i) elements to promote the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts such as Mg, Sr and Si, and (ii) bactericidal agents such as Ag, Se and Ce nanoparticles. Contamination by bacteria can lead to severe infections and even the need for implant replacement, and therefore a special focus will be given to the bactericidal property of the developed materials. The composites will be used as filaments for 3D printing by fused deposition modeling (FDM), to obtain scaffolds with adequate mechanical properties, controlled morphology (pore sizes that mimic the bone structure), bioactive behavior, and permeability to sufficient body fluids/proteins for application in bone regeneration. The rheological, structural, thermal and mechanical properties of the scaffolds will be analyzed with a wide range of techniques available at Department of Materials Engineering (DEMa), and in vitro cell and bacterial studies will be conducted at Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (LBBM), located in the Department of Physiological Sciences of UFSCar and in a research internship abroad (BEPE).

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GONCALVES BEATRICE, CESAR AUGUSTO; BORIOLO SHIMOMURA, KAWANY MUNIQUE; BACKES, EDUARDO HENRIQUE; HARB, SAMARAH VARGAS; COSTA, LIDIANE CRISTINA; PASSADOR, FABIO ROBERTO; PESSAN, LUIZ ANTONIO. Engineering printable composites of poly (epsilon-polycaprolactone) / beta-tricalcium phosphate for biomedical applications. Polymer Composites, v. 42, n. 3, DEC 2020. (17/11366-7, 18/26060-3, 17/09609-9, 18/14151-4, 11/21313-1)

BACKES, EDUARDO HENRIQUE; BEATRICE, CESAR AUGUSTO GONCALVES; SHIMOMURA, KAWANY MUNIQUE BORIOLO; HARB, SAMARAH VARGAS; PACHANE, BIANCA CRUZ; SELISTRE-DE-ARAUJO, HELOISA SOBREIRO; COSTA, LIDIANE CRISTINA; PASSADOR, FABIO ROBERTO; PESSAN, LUIZ ANTONIO. Development of poly(epsilon-polycaprolactone)/hydroxyapatite composites for bone tissue regeneration. Journal of Materials Research, v. 36, n. 15, SI, AUG 2021. (11/21313-1, 17/09609-9, 18/14151-4, 17/11366-7, 18/26060-3)

BACKES, EDUARDO HENRIQUE; HARB, SAMARAH VARGAS; BEATRICE, CESAR AUGUSTO GONCALVES; SHIMOMURA, KAWANY MUNIQUE BORIOLO; PASSADOR, FABIO ROBERTO; COSTA, LIDIANE CRISTINA; PESSAN, LUIZ ANTONIO. Polycaprolactone usage in additive manufacturing strategies for tissue engineering applications: A review. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART B-APPLIED BIOMATERIALS, DEC 2021. (18/14151-4, 17/11366-7, 18/26060-3, 17/09609-9)