AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/ijb.6571
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Early Access

GelMA-pectin-PSS nanocomposites for 3D (bio)printing of osteogenesis-stimulating scaffolds loaded with BMP2

Adriana Lungu1 Mihaela-Raluca Dobrișan1 Alexandra Ioana Cernencu1 Horia Iovu1 Izabela-Cristina Stancu1* Elena Olăreț1 Cornel Baltă2 Marcel Roșu2 Alina Ciceu2 Anca Hermenean2* Roxana Balahura3,4 Sorina Dinescu3,4
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1 Advanced Polymer Materials Group, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Splaiul Independenței 313, Bucharest, Romania
2 “Aurel Ardelean“ Institute of Life Sciences, “Vasile Goldis” Western University of Arad, Str. Liviu Rebreanu 86, Arad, Romania
3 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 91-95, Bucharest, Romania
4 The Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), Sos. Panduri 90, Bucharest, Romania
Submitted: 26 November 2024 | Accepted: 21 January 2025 | Published: 22 January 2025
© 2025 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

Taking advantage of both naturally derived polymers and nanostructured materials, in the current study, we propose new multicomponent hydrogels double reinforced with two complementary nano-fillers developed for bioprinting-based tissue engineering applications. In a bioinspired approach, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and polyhedral silsesquioxanes (PSS) nanoparticles were embedded in a proteinaceous-polysaccharidic matrix. To synthesize a robust platform for 3D bioprinting, methacrylate-modified biopolymers were crosslinked using UV-light to provide optimal conditions for cell encapsulation purposes. The nanocomposite bioinks were supplemented with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) as potent osteogenic factor to maximize the function of preosteoblasts already engaged to the osteogenic lineage. The 3D-scaffolds’ morphology was investigated focusing on PSS dispersion, porosity, and geometrical features of constructs. Swelling results showed that all the samples maintained their hydrophilic character with a slight decreasing tendency of the swelling capacity when PSS was incorporated. The in vitro cytocompatibility tests proved the beneficial influence of CNFs and PSS additives in the process of cell growth. In vivo studies revealed that hydrogels supplemented with nanostructured fillers and BMP2 promote improved osteogenesis both in osteogenic and nonosteogenic regions proving that scaffolds reinforced with growth factors have a big potential to respond to the challenges of the biomaterials and could be a promising option for the regeneration of hard tissues.

Keywords
Hybrid printing inks
Nanocomposite hydrogels
Osteogenic induction
BMP2
In vivo osteogenesis
Funding
A. Lungu acknowledges the project BIOPRINT, GNAC ARUT 56/2023 (ID 220235515) funded by the National Program for Research of the National Association of Technical Universities. I.C. Stancu and E. Olaret acknowledge the project Next3DBone, PN-III-P4-PCE-2021-1240, no. PCE 88/2022. The 3D printing and nanoindentation experiments were possible due to European Regional Development Fund through Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-2020, Priority axis 1, ID P_36_611, MySMIS code 107066, INOVABIOMED.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing