Graphene has been studied for its in vitro osteoinductive capacity. However, the in vivo bone repair effects of graphene-based scaffolds remain unknown. The aqueous soluble graphene oxide-copper nanocomposites (GO-Cu) are fabricated, which are used to coat porous calcium phosphate (CaP) scaffolds for vascularized bone regeneration. The GO-Cu nanocomposites, containing crystallized CuO/Cu2 O nanoparticles of ≈30 nm diameters, distribute uniformly on the surfaces of the porous scaffolds and maintain a long-term release of Cu ions. In vitro, the GO-Cu coating enhances the adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs). It is also found that by activating the Erk1/2 signaling pathway, the GO-Cu nanocomposites upregulate the expression of Hif-1α in BMSCs, resulting in the secretion of VEGF and BMP-2 proteins. When transplanted into rat with critical-sized calvarial defects, the GO-Cu-coated calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffolds (CPC/GO-Cu) significantly promote angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Moreover, it is observed via histological sections that the GO-Cu nanocomposites are phagocytosed by multinucleated giant cells. The results suggest that GO-Cu nanocomposite coatings can be utilized as an attractive strategy for vascularized bone regeneration.
Thermal oxidation, which serves as a low-cost, effective and relatively simple/facile method, was used to modify a micro-structured titanium surface in ambient atmosphere at 450 °C for different time periods to improve in vitro and in vivo bioactivity. The surface morphology, crystallinity of the surface layers, chemical composition and chemical states were evaluated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Cell behaviours including cell adhesion, attachment, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation were observed in vitro study. The ability of the titanium surface to promote osseointegration was evaluated in an in vivo animal model. Surface thermal oxidation on titanium implants maintained the microstructure and, thus, both slightly changed the nanoscale structure of titanium and enhanced the crystallinity of the titanium surface layer. Cells cultured on the three oxidized titanium surfaces grew well and exhibited better osteogenic activity than did the control samples. The in vivo bone-implant contact also showed enhanced osseointegration after several hours of oxidization. This heat-treated titanium enhanced the osteogenic differentiation activity of rBMMSCs and improved osseointegration in vivo, suggesting that surface thermal oxidation could potentially be used in clinical applications to improve bone-implant integration.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.