Title : Importance of nanofiber scaffolds porosity on bone regeneration of calvaria defect in a wistar rat model
Abstract:
Skeletal tissue injury is a major burden on the global healthcare system due to an aging population. In addition, metabolic disorders such as diabetes and osteoporosis further impede the healing process. Tissue engineering scaffolds for reconstructive strategies offer exciting opportunities to overcome poor self-healing capacity of skeletal tissue. We studied bone regeneration potential of 2 cellulose-based nanostructured-biomaterials, CC8 and CC8H, on a pre-clinical model of surgically induced cranial bone defect in Wistar rats. Bone healing was monitored every 2 weeks, up to 12 weeks, using clinical monitoring of animals, CT and PET imaging with Na18F radiotracer. Terminal bone samples were then analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Scanning electron microscopy reveals the higher porosity of CC8 scaffold as well as its capacity to enhance cell colonization. Results of in vivo studies show different bone healing profiles depending on the scaffold used. Indeed, the metabolic stimulation induced by CC8 scaffold led to a higher bone density than with CC8H scaffold, indicating that scaffold’s porosity is an important parameter in the bone healing capacity of scaffolds. This work is ongoing on a more complex in vivo model of bone regeneration: a long bone skeleton defect with mechanical constraints, such as a femur fracture.
Audience Take Away:
- The audience will be able to see an example of biological study (in vitro and in vivo) to assess the healing potential of a cellulose-based nano-biomaterial
- The audience will be able to see the usefulness of a bone healing monitoring with high-performance tools such as CT imaging or PET imaging and the conclusions we can draw from it
- The audience will be able to see an example of a study highlighting the importance of physical structure of nanoscaffolds, and in particular porosity, in the process of bone healing.
