Study of the processing of three-dimensional osteoconductive matrices by additive manufacturing for bone tissue engineering

• Grant number: 22/00833-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Éder Sócrates Najar Lopes
• Grantee: Ingrid Rossilho Casale
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica (FEM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Bone tissue engineering (ET) proposes the repair of injured tissues through the use of three-dimensional supports in the form of scaffolds. Additive manufacturing is a technology that has several advantages and it is notoriously important for providing the manufacture of bioactive scaffolds customized to the needs of each lesion. Scaffolds must have a similar geometry and pore size as the tissue to be replaced, it has to be bioactive and bioabsorbable. Thus, this research seeks to produce three-dimensional matrices composed of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles processed by additive manufacturing, in order to use them in bone tissue engineering. The use of PLGA is justified because it is a bioresorbable polymer and HA is used because it has osteoconductive properties. Therefore, matrices of PLGA and PLGA doped with HA will be produced, modeled in different geometries, and printed using the additive manufacturing process by extrusion. In addition, post-processing steps will be carried out to remove moisture and residual solvent, and the characterization will take place through the chemical, morphological and mechanical properties of the specimens, which will be correlated with those desired for the ET bone.(AU)