Bone-Biomimetic Biomaterial and Cell Fate Determination

Abstract

Despite its remarkable capacity to undergo self-repair, bone tissue cannot regenerate across critical-sized defects, and their successful reconstruction remains a major clinical challenge. Current treatment options are limited and often associated with a high incidence of complications, which may result in non-union or re-fracture. There is a great and growing need for alternative techniques to replace, restore or regenerate damaged or diseased bone. Biomaterials-based bone tissue engineering via the use of synthetic bone substitutes represents a particularly promising alternative, which circumvents the drawbacks of conventional treatments. To achieve successful reconstructive outcomes, synthetic bone substitutes need to be biocompatible and provide necessary signals to osteoprogenitor cells to control downstream cell responses including adhesion, migration, proliferation and differentiation into osteoblasts. One feasible approach to develop synthetic bone substitutes with such biological properties is to mimic the innate physical and/or chemical properties of bone. In this chapter, we discuss the design aspects of bone-biomimetic biomaterials that provide the signals necessary for bone regeneration, and the underlying mechanisms by which bone-biomimetic biomaterials determine the fate of mesenchymal stem cells/osteoprogenitor cells. Protein adsorption to biomaterial surfaces and their subsequent influence on cell adhesion and intracellular signal transduction will be discussed in detail, with particular emphasis on the key molecules and signalling pathways involved in directing the osteogenic development of cells.