In vitro investigations on the effects of graphene and graphene oxide on polycaprolactone bone tissue engineering scaffolds

Polycaprolactone(PCL)scaffolds that are produced through additive manufacturing are one of the most researched bone tissue engineering structures in the field.Due to the intrinsic limitations of PCL,carbon nanomaterials are often investigated to reinforce the PCL scaffolds.Despite several studies that have been conducted on carbon nanomaterials,such as graphene(G)and graphene oxide(GO),certain challenges remain in terms of the precise design of the biological and nonbiological properties of the scaffolds.This paper addresses this limitation by investigating both the nonbiological(element composition,surface,degradation,and thermal and mechanical properties)and biological characteristics of carbon nanomaterial-reinforced PCL scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.Results showed that the incorporation of G and GO increased surface properties(reduced modulus and wettability),material crystallinity,crystallization temperature,and degradation rate.However,the variations in compressive modulus,strength,surface hardness,and cell metabolic activity strongly depended on the type of reinforcement.Finally,a series of phenomenological models were developed based on experimental results to describe the variations of scaffold’s weight,fiber diameter,porosity,and mechanical properties as functions of degradation time and carbon nanomaterial concentrations.The results presented in this paper enable the design of three-dimensional(3D)bone scaffolds with tuned properties by adjusting the type and concentration of different functional fillers.

Application of additively manufactured 3D scaffolds for bone cancer treatment:a review

Bone cancer is a critical health problem on a global scale,and the associated huge clinical and economic burdens are still rising.Although many clinical approaches are currently used for bone cancer treatment,these methods usually affect the normal body functions and thus present significant limitations.Meanwhile,advanced materials and additive manufacturing have opened up promising avenues for the development of new strategies targeting both bone cancer treatment and post-treatment bone regeneration.This paper presents a comprehensive review of bone cancer and its current treatment methods,particularly focusing on a number of advanced strategies such as scaffolds based on advanced functional materials,drug-loaded scaffolds,and scaffolds for photothermal/magnetothermal therapy.Finally,the main research challenges and future perspectives are elaborated.