A 3D Printable and Bioactive Hydrogel Scaffold to Treat Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury accompanied by intracranial hypertension remains one of the most fatal injuries worldwide. Usually, patients must undergo two surgeries, craniectomy and cranioplasty, to reduce the intracranial pressure and then repair the skull. Traditional biomaterials, such as autologous bones and titanium meshes, which have poor stretchability and very high Young's modulus values up to hundreds of GPa, tend to constrain intracranial tissue and cannot be implanted directly after craniectomy. Thus far, finding elastic and degradable biomaterials to be immediately implanted after a craniectomy has remained a great challenge, which should not only repair cranial defects but also avoid secondary surgery and reduce the risk of complications, has remained a great challenge. Herein, a 3D printable bioactive hydrogel scaffold with high elasticity that can protect brain tissue, adapt to intracranial pressure changes, allow for the transport of nutrients and the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells is presented. As indicated by in vivo experiments, the hydrogel scaffold helps to treat traumatic brain injury within 8 weeks and degrades safely. With these advantages, this material shows the potential to open up new horizons for cranioplasty and to help patients survive traumatic brain injury.

Cell‐Free Bilayered Porous Scaffolds for Osteochondral Regeneration Fabricated by Continuous 3D‐Printing Using Nascent Physical Hydrogel as Ink

“…As several groups have successfully constructed 3D-printing hydrogel scaffolds, [44][45][46][47][48] little attention has so far been paid to the effects of the printed interfilament spacing on tissue regeneration. The interfilament spacing in the 3D-printing strategy influences pore sizes, porosity, and specific surface (surface area over the mass of a porous scaffold) simultaneously, and thus of much complexity and importance.…”

Recent Advances in Design of Functional Biocompatible Hydrogels for Bone Tissue Engineering

“…Reproduced with permission. [ 25 ] Copyright 2019, Wiley‐VCH. c) A drug delivery system was developed by combining composite hydrogel scaffolds made up of collagen and hydroxyapatite (Col/HA) with bisphosphonate (BP)‐derivatized liposomes for providing a sustained drug release platform in bone regeneration and repair.…”

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Conductive Biomaterials as Substrates for Neural Stem Cells Differentiation towards Neuronal Lineage Cells

“…These properties of the hydrogel promoted the regeneration of traumatic brain defects within 8 weeks in vivo. [ 33 ] Another hydrogel based on alginate, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and sterculia gum polysaccharide was used for delivering the nerve‐regenerating component, citicoline. The hydrogels revealed mucoadhesiveness and antioxidant properties, with no hemolysis and thrombogenicity characteristics.…”