Advanced Nanocomposite Scaffold for Bone Regeneration

Introduction Each year in the United States approximately 500,000 procedures that involve the use of bone substitutes are performed. To address the limitations of materials currently used in orthopaedic tissue engineering, we have developed novel nanocomposite materials that consist of a citric acid-based elastomer, poly(1,8 octanediol citrate) (POC) and bioceramic nanoparticles, βtricalcium phosphate (TCP). The nanocomposites can acquire a wide range of mechanical and degradation characteristics and can serve as a depot for macromolecules. This study is aimed at the immobilization and delivery of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to improve scaffold vascularisation through endothelial cell recruitment and migration. The overall objective of the project is to develop and characterize novel VEGF-eluting biodegradable and osteoinductive nanocomposites that can modulate new bone formation and address the current challenge of promoting angiogenesis within the construct.