Biodegradable SCL-PHA Composite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering
Investigator: Christy Thomas (Doktorandin)
Betreuer: Dr. Ipsita Roy ( University of Westminster, London)
Mitbetreuer: Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini
The research project is to develop novel scaffolds for bone tissue engineering using SCL-PHAs namely P(3HB) and P(3HB-co-3HV) produced by the bacteria, Bacillus spp. 2D and 3D composite scaffolds will be fabricated using polymer and various weight percentages of inorganic bioactive materials such as P(3HB) / or P(3HB-co-3HV)/ Bioglass® to obtain characteristics similar to those of bone. The polymer/ Bioglass® with improved processability will be taken forward for cell biocompatibility testing.
P(3HB) and P(3HB-co-3HV) can be tailored for their rate of degradation. Also, P(3HB) is known to have piezoelectric properties which promotes bone healing. Addition of novel mesoporous bioactive glasses in the polymer matrix will be used to enhance the mechanical strength and induce angiogenesis, osteostimulation, and antibacterial properties for regeneration of bone tissue. 45S5 Bioglass®/polymer composites will be used as control, as these composites have been investigated extensively in the past [1]. The resulting constructs will be fully characterized for their mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. The cell compatibility of the composites will be studied using osteoblast cell lines and the angiogenic effect induced by the presence of bioactive glass will be investigated according to established experimental methods [2].
[1] Misra, S. K., et al., Fabrication and Characterization of Biodegradable Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Composite Containing Bioglass, Biomacromolecules, 2007, 8 (7), pp 2112–2119.
[2] Detsch, R., et al., Increase in VEGF secretion from human fibroblast cells by bioactive glass S53P4 to stimulate angiogenesis in bone, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. Part A (2014) in press. (LINK: )
