Utilization of Carbon Nanotubes in Manufacturing of 3D Cartilage and Bone Scaffolds

Abstract

Cartilage and bone injuries are prevalent ailments, affecting the quality of life of injured patients. Current methods of treatment are often imperfect and pose the risk of complications in the long term. Therefore, tissue engineering is a rapidly developing branch of science, which aims at discovering effective ways of replacing or repairing damaged tissues with the use of scaffolds. However, both cartilage and bone owe their exceptional mechanical properties to their complex ultrastructure, which is very difficult to reproduce artificially. To address this issue, nanotechnology was employed. One of the most promising nanomaterials in this respect is carbon nanotubes, due to their exceptional physico-chemical properties, which are similar to collagens—the main component of the extracellular matrix of these tissues. This review covers the important aspects of 3D scaffold development and sums up the existing research tackling the challenges of scaffold design. Moreover, carbon nanotubes-reinforced bone and cartilage scaffolds manufactured using the 3D bioprinting technique will be discussed as a novel tool that could facilitate the achievement of more biomimetic structures.

Carbon Nanotubes Interference with Luminescence-Based Assays

“…This is especially important for the biomedical use of carbon nanotubes. In recent years, researchers' interest in the use of scaffolds from CNTs for the production of implants has grown, among others, for the treatment of cartilage injuries [14][15][16][17][18]. Carbon nanotubes are attractive for this type of application due to their very high mechanical strength, excellent flexibility, and size, similar to extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules [19].…”

3D Bioprinting of Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

“…The use of nanotechnology can provide a solution in simulating the structure of cartilage tissue. Studies have proved that carbon nanotubes manufactured using 3D bioprinting technology can enhance the physical properties of cartilage scaffolds [ 6 ]. In another study, carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (cCNCs) were prepared using ammonium persulfate as hydrogel inks, and stable cell-free and cell-loaded hydrogel inks with the best physicochemical properties and biocompatibility were developed [ 7 ].…”

Carbon‐Based Materials for Articular Tissue Engineering: From Innovative Scaffolding Materials toward Engineered Living Carbon

“…Their superior mechanical properties, lightweight structure, and tunable electromechanical behavior, among other aspects, make CNTs a suitable material in several research studies. Groundbreaking studies have already demonstrated the potentials of both SWCNTs and MWCNTs and their composites for the engineering of cartilage and bone (Figure 4) [56,[82][83][84] and of tendons and ligaments. [56,57] Their biomechanical similarity to collagen fibers has been highlighted, and their 3D processability through varied techniques, such as electrospinning, solvent casting, freeze-drying, phase separation, and several rapid prototyping tools like bioprinting, digital light processing, laser stereolithography, or fused deposition modeling, [83] expand their horizons for the personalized repair of multiple tissue types.…”