Looking for biomimetic units for bone regeneration

• Grant number: 22/14363-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Willian Fernando Zambuzzi
• Grantee: Júlia Ferreira de Moraes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The search for adequate and efficient bone repair and regeneration treatments has been growing more and more. In this context, tissue engineering works using supports composed of cells expanded in vitro with the intention of being bioreabsorbable while a new tissue is formed. Among these types of support, the hydrogel stands out, having as an example the natural polymeric materials Alginate and Gelatin, which complement each other by presenting together a favorable environment for the cells. Thus, it is proposed for this project the use of these polymeric biomaterials for the development of a bone scaffold, together with the use of bioceramics, more specifically tricalcium phosphate (²-TCP), which has components that are present in the bones and the use of cobalt in the composition of the hydrogel formed, due to its strategic potential for promoting neovascularization, antigenic, which improves tissue repair. In addition, when seeking greater mimicry of bone tissue, a three-dimensional spheroid model associated with the biomaterial is considered, which may become prone to greater adhesion with this shape, due to greater compliance with the in vivo environment. The synthesis and characterization of the material will be carried out, using the FTIR technique to identify the characteristic functional groups of the materials, the ICP analysis to quantify the elements calcium and cobalt, in addition to the analysis of hydrogel swelling at determined times and electron microscopy. After the characterizations there will be the culture of pre-osteoblast cells (MC3T3), then cytotoxicity assays of the material and gene expression (RT-qPCR) of treatment will be performed for 24 h.