Hydroxyapatite/alginate/gellan gum inks with osteoconduction and osteogenic potential for bioprinting bone tissue analogues

last updated: 2025-02-13
ProjectTERM - Programa de Doutoramento FCT :: publications list
TitleHydroxyapatite/alginate/gellan gum inks with osteoconduction and osteogenic potential for bioprinting bone tissue analogues
Publication TypePapers in Scientific Journals
Year of Publication2024
AuthorsBastos A. R., da Silva L. P., Maia F. R., Franco A., Noro J., Silva C., Oliveira J. M., Reis R. L., and Correlo V. M.
Abstract

There is a growing demand for engineered bone tissues custom-designed to match the patient-specific defect size and in vitro models for studying bone diseases and/or drug screening. Herein, we propose a bioprinted bone tissue construct using SaOs-2 cells within alginate/gellan gum/hydroxyapatite inks. Different ink formulations were developed with varying hydroxyapatite content and then evaluated for viscoelasticity, printability, biomineralization properties, post-printing viability, proliferation, metabolic activity, and osteogenic phenotype of SaOs-2-encapsulated cells. Results indicate that ink formulations exhibit non-Newtonian shear-thinning behaviour, maintaining shape integrity and structural stability post-printing. Ink mineralization rates increase with the hydroxyapatite content, rendering them suitable for bone defect strategies. Post-printed cells in the developed constructs remain live, spreading, and metabolically active but do not proliferate. Osteogenic gene and protein expression, both early and late, show upregulation at day 7 relative to day 1, followed by downregulation at day 14. Lower hydroxyapatite content inks demonstrate up to fourfold upregulation in genes and proteins at most time points. Additionally, these constructs release calcium and phosphate at levels conducive to mineralization. Overall, the tissue-engineered miniaturized constructs not only meet the criteria for early-stage bone defect/fracture regeneration but also serve as a promising platform for drug screening and evaluating potential therapeutic treatments.

JournalInternational Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Volume271
Edition2
Date Published2024-05-24
PublisherElsevier
ISSN0141-8130
URLhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132611.
Keywords3D bioprinting, hydroxyapatite, osteoblasts, SaOs-2 cells
RightsopenAccess
Peer reviewedyes
Statuspublished

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