Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
scaffolds not only provided a means to protect the loaded rhBMP-
2butalsoimprovedthesustainedreleasebehaviorofrhBMP-2.The
sustained release of growth factors in a control manner and at the
desired concentration is very important for stimulating bone tissue
regeneration.
45.6 Conclusions
This chapter focused on investigating the potentials of SLS in
constructing multifunctional nanocomposite scaffolds for bone tis-
sue engineering. It was demonstrated that 3D scaffolds with well-
defined porous structures can be successfully produced through
SLS by judiciously choosing the SLS parameters. Mimicking the
hierarchical structure of bone, the composite approach can be
adopted for making osteoconductive nanocomposite scaffolds for
bone tissue regeneration. The new strategy of using nanocomposite
microspheres instead of dry-blended bioceramic-polymer powders
asrawmaterialsforscaffoldfabricationviaSLScanensurethequal-
ityofscaffoldsandalsoahomogeneousdistributionofosteoconduc-
tivebioceramicnanoparticlesinthescaffolds.Itmayalsoprovidean
effectivewayforincorporatingheat-insensitivedrugsinscaffoldsfor
their controlled in vivo release.
Multifunctionalityisdesiredfortissueengineeringscaffolds.The
Ca-P/PHBVnanocompositescaffoldsformedthroughSLSinthecur-
rent investigation can serve as delivery vehicles for biomolecules
suchasgrowthfactors.Twostrategies,namely,encapsulationofbio-
moleculeswithinscaffoldsandattachmentofbiomoleculesontothe
surface ofscaffolds through non-covalentbinding,can beemployed.
For the encapsulation of biomolecules within nanocomposite scaf-
folds, as a demonstration, BSA-loaded Ca-P/PHBV nanocomposite
microspheres were first fabricated using the double-emulsion sol-
vent evaporation method. The BSA-loaded nanocomposite
microspheres were then processed via SLS into 3D porous scaf-
foldswithgooddimensionalaccuracy,whileretainingthebioactivity
of BSA. The BSA-loaded nanocomposite scaffolds displayed a con-
trolled in vitro releaseofBSA,althoughtheBSAloadinglevelandEE
werelowforthescaffoldsproducedinthecurrentinvestigation.For
theattachmentofbiomoleculesontoscaffoldsthroughnon-covalent
 
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