Ana Paula Nogueria Alves

Visiting PhD Student (Federal University of Sao Paulo – Brazil)

3D-printed β-TCP scaffolds coated with bioactive glasses for bone tissue engineering applications

 

Supervisor in Erlangen: Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Supervisor in Brazil: Prof. Dr. Eliandra de Sousa Trichês

3D printing is a technique to manufacture scaffolds with good accuracy of geometry and pores structure for bone tissue engineering [1]. Among different biomaterials used to produce scaffolds, β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) has excelled due to its exceptional biocompatibility, osteoconductive, and osteoinduction properties [2]. Another promising biomaterial, bioactive glass (BG), exhibits remarkable bioactivity, possesses antimicrobial properties, and can be synthesized by the sol-gel method, facilitating precise control over its composition and addition of therapeutic ions [3]. Integration of various ions and phytotherapeutic agents into BG allows the enhancement of biological properties and antimicrobial activity. The synergistic utilization of β-TCP scaffolds and BG particles presents a promising alternative for bone treatment, offering improvements in cell viability, antibacterial efficacy, and apatite mineralization capacity. This project aims to develop multifunctional 3D-printed β-TCP scaffolds coated with BG for bone tissue engineering applications.

References

[1] Varma, M. V., Kandasubramanian, B., & Ibrahim, S. M. (2020). 3D printed scaffolds for biomedical applications. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 255, 123642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2020.123642

[2] Huang, X., Dai, H., Hu, Y., Zhuang, P., Shi, Z., & Ma, Y. (2021). Development of a high solid loading β-TCP suspension with a low refractive index contrast for DLP -based ceramic stereolithography. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 41, 3743–3754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2020.12.047

[3] Simila, H. O., & Boccaccini, A. R. (2022). Sol-gel bioactive glass containing biomaterials for restorative dentistry: A review. In Dental Materials, 38, 725–747. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dental.2022.02.011