AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/ijb.3574
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Double-protein-loaded 3D-printed polyetheretherketone cage for promoting interbody fusion via osteogenic differentiation

Feng Zheng1,2 Xiaoqiang Gao1 Sheng Chai2 Haibin Lin1* Huan Liu3*
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1 Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian, China
2 The School of Clinical Medicine, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
3 Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
Submitted: 5 May 2024 | Accepted: 14 June 2024 | Published: 29 July 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common condition characterized by age-related wear and tear of the spine. In advanced stages or severe cases of IDD, surgical treatment involving the implantation of an interbody cage is often the primary treatment approach. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been widely used in orthopedic and spinal implants due to its remarkable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance. However, when used in interbody cages, PEEK exhibits poor processability and biological inertness, which are significant disadvantages that need to be addressed. In this work, we first fabricated the PEEK cage via the fused deposition modeling (FDM) method. To improve its fusion effect, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) was loaded onto sulfonated PEEK and sealed with gelatin/chitosan (Gel/Chi) multilayer films. Substance P was then grafted on the surface with a Schiff base. When the cage is implanted, substance P is released first, recruiting bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to the implant surface. Subsequently, upon degradation of the Gel/Chi multilayer films, BMP2 is slowly released and promotes osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. In vivo results revealed that the double-protein-loaded PEEK cage exhibited remarkable fusion effects. This work provides a novel approach for the design and fabrication of a PEEK intervertebral fusion device with an excellent fusion effect.

Keywords
Polyetheretherketone
3D printing
Interbody cage
Mesenchymal stem cell recruitment
Funding
This work was supported by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Science and Technology (grant number: 2023ZYD0072).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing