Bone tissue has the capacity to regenerate under healthy conditions, but complex cases like critically sized defects hinder natural bone regeneration, necessitating surgery, and use of a grafting material for rehabilitation. The field of bone tissue engineering (BTE) has pioneered ways to address such issues utilizing different biomaterials to create a platform for cell migration and tissue formation, leading to improved bone reconstruction. One such approach involves 3D-printed patient-specific scaffolds designed to aid in regeneration of boney defects. This study aimed to develop and characterize 3D printed scaffolds composed of type I collagen augmented with β-tricalcium phosphate (COL/β-TCP). A custom-built direct inkjet write (DIW) printer was used to fabricate β-TCP, COL, and COL/β-TCP scaffolds using synthesized colloidal gels. After chemical crosslinking, the scaffolds were lyophilized and subjected to several characterization techniques, including light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction to evaluate morphological and chemical properties. In vitro evaluation was performed using human osteoprogenitor cells to assess cytotoxicity and proliferative capacity of the different scaffold types. Characterization results confirmed the presence of β-TCP in the 3D printed COL/β-TCP scaffolds, which exhibited crystals that were attributed to β-TCP due to the presence of calcium and phosphorus, detected through energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. In vitro studies showed that the COL/β-TCP scaffolds yielded more favorable results in terms of cell viability and proliferation compared to β-TCP and COL scaffolds. The novel COL/β-TCP scaffold constructs hold promise for improving BTE applications and may offer a superior environment for bone regeneration compared with conventional COL and β-TCP scaffolds.

中文翻译：

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用于骨再生的直接喷墨书写1型牛胶原蛋白/β-磷酸三钙支架

骨组织在健康条件下具有再生能力，但复杂的情况（例如尺寸严重的缺损）会阻碍自然骨再生，因此需要进行手术并使用移植材料进行康复。骨组织工程 (BTE) 领域开创了解决此类问题的方法，利用不同的生物材料创建细胞迁移和组织形成的平台，从而改善骨重建。其中一种方法涉及 3D 打印的患者专用支架，旨在帮助骨缺损的再生。本研究旨在开发并表征由 I 型胶原蛋白和 β-磷酸三钙 (COL/β-TCP) 增强组成的 3D 打印支架。使用定制的直接喷墨写入 (DIW) 打印机使用合成胶体凝胶制造 β-TCP、COL 和 COL/β-TCP 支架。化学交联后，支架被冻干并接受多种表征技术，包括光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和 X 射线衍射，以评估形态和化学性质。使用人骨祖细胞进行体外评估，以评估不同支架类型的细胞毒性和增殖能力。表征结果证实了 3D 打印的 COL/β-TCP 支架中存在 β-TCP，通过能量色散 X 射线光谱仪检测到，由于钙和磷的存在，该支架表现出归因于 β-TCP 的晶体。体外研究表明，与 β-TCP 和 COL 支架相比，COL/β-TCP 支架在细胞活力和增殖方面产生了更有利的结果。与传统的 COL 和 β-TCP 支架相比，新型 COL/β-TCP 支架结构有望改善 BTE 应用，并可为骨再生提供优越的环境。