Development of Bioactive 3D-Printed Bone Scaffolds Functionalized with Nitric Oxide-Delivering Chitosan-Based Materials

• Grant number: 25/04749-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Amedea Barozzi Seabra
• Grantee: Renan da Silva Nunes
• Supervisor: Maria-Pau Ginebra
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/04079-5 - Nanocomposite biomaterials for sustained release of nitric oxide: modeling and optimization of personalized platforms changing biomedical applications, BP.PD

Abstract

Bone regeneration remains a challenge in orthopedic and maxillofacial applications, particularly in large defects that exceed the body's natural healing capacity. In this sense, 3D-printed calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite scaffolds, developed by Prof. Maria-Pau Ginebra's group, provide a highly osteoconductive platform with excellent structural properties, presenting an opportunity for further functionalization to enhance biological performance. This project aims to incorporate nitric oxide (NO)-releasing chitosan-based materials into these scaffolds, integrating glutathione-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and thiolated chitosan to achieve controlled NO release and antimicrobial activity, promoting a more favorable environment for bone regeneration. Functionalization will be optimized using Design of Experiments to determine the ideal parameters for biomaterial concentration and scaffold immersion time, ensuring efficient incorporation of NO-releasing components. The modified scaffolds will undergo extensive physicochemical characterization, including morphological, chemical, and mechanical analyses, followed by NO release kinetics studies to evaluate their capacity for sustained delivery. To assess their potential biomedical application, the scaffolds will be tested for antimicrobial properties against clinically relevant bacterial strains and in vitro cytotoxicity using human mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblast-like cells. By integrating bioactive functionalization strategies into highly porous 3D-printed scaffolds, this research aims to contribute to the development of the next generation of advanced biomaterials for bone tissue engineering.