<p>Electrospun Poly (Aspartic Acid)-Modified Zein Nanofibers for Promoting Bone Regeneration</p>

Abstract

BackgroundCritical-sized bone defects raise great challenges. Zein is of interest for bone regeneration, but it has limited ability to stimulate cell proliferation. In this regard, a poly (aspartic acid) (PAsp)-zein hybrid is promising, as PAsp can promote rat bone marrow stromal cell (rBMSCs) proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. This research aimed to develop electrospun PAsp-modified zein nanofibers to realize critical-sized bone defects repair.MethodsThree groups of PAsp-modified zein nanofibers were prepared, they were PAsp grafting percentages of 0% (zein), 5.32% (ZPAA-1), and 7.63% (ZPAA-2). Using rBMSCs as in vitro cell model and SD rats as in vivo animal model, fluorescence staining, SEM, CCK-8, ALP, ARS staining, μCT and histological analysis were performed to verify the biological and osteogenic activities for PAsp-modified zein nanofibers.ResultsAs the Asp content increased from 0% to 7.63%, the water contact angle decreased from 129.8 ± 2.3° to 105.5 ± 2.5°. SEM, fluorescence staining and CCK-8 assay showed that ZPAA-2 nanofibers had a superior effect on rBMSCs spreading and proliferation than did zein and ZPAA-1 nanofibers, ALP activity and ARS staining showed that ZPAA-2 can improve rBMSCs osteogenic differentiation. In vivo osteogenic activities was evaluated by μCT analysis, HE, Masson and immunohistochemical staining, indicating accelerated bone formation in ZPAA-2 SD rats after 4 and 8 weeks treatment, with a rank order of ZPAA-2 > ZPAA-1 > zein group. Moreover, the semiquantitative results of the Masson staining revealed that the maturity of the new bone was higher in the ZPAA-2 group than in the other groups.ConclusionElectrospun PAsp-modified zein can provide a suitable microenvironment for osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs, as well as for bone regeneration; the optimal membrane appears to have a PAsp grafting percentage of 7.63%.

Testing active membranes for bone regeneration: A review

“…Normally, a high value of WCA indicates hydrophobicity, whereas a low value shows that a material is more hydrophilic. It is well known that improved surface hydrophilicity is necessary for cell adherence and growth [24]. Most synthetic biodegradable polymers are hydrophobic; thereby, extensive efforts have thus been devoted towards increasing the hydrophilicity of biomaterials.…”

bFGF-Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Promote Bone Regeneration Through the Wnt/β-Catenin Signalling Pathway

“…Observing the mineralized nodules of osteoblasts is a common method for evaluating osteoblast differentiation. Evaluation of mineralized matrix formation by ARS staining 40 showed calcium deposition and nodule formation after osteogenic induction for 14 days and 21 days ( Figure 5A ). The intensity of the red color observed for the bFGF@MSNs group was visibly stronger than that observed for the control and MSNs groups, which was consistent with microscopy images revealing more calcium in bFGF@MSNs group.…”

A Review on Electrospun Poly(amino acid) Nanofibers and Their Applications of Hemostasis and Wound Healing

“…Common bone regeneration membranes are divided into two categories: resorbable membranes, which may cause damage to soft tissues and require secondary surgical removal, and non-resorbable membranes, which are generally chosen to use naturally degradable components that are friendly to patients and wound tissues but need to overcome the limitations of the mechanical properties of naturally degradable materials [ 156 , 157 , 158 ]. Liu et al [ 159 ] used polyaspartic acid to modify maize proteins with good film-forming and biocompatibility properties. The nanofibrous membrane was made by electrospinning of maize protein, which has good film formation, biocompatibility, and mechanical properties.…”