Bone tissue engineering for jaw bone regeneration

Abstract

Tissue engineering approaches using scaffolds alone or in combination with growth factor, cell and/or gene delivery have the potential to address existing challenges in managing bone defects in the oral cavity resulting from trauma, chronic infection, congenital defects, or surgical resection. Nowadays much attention is focused on polymer-ceramic three-dimensional scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration in defec size. For a successful performance the ideal scaffold should be a three-dimensional interconnected porous structure able to promote cell adhesion, proliferation and vascularisation, while enabling a controlled supply of bioactive substances that might influence the behavior of incorporated or ingrown cells. Together with scientists from Kaunas University of Technology a new method was developed for the preparation of cellulose composites with the micro- and nanosize particles of hydroxyapatite (HA). The composites were fabricated by saponification of diacetylcellulose (DAC) adding HA. The composites of cellulose with embedded HA particles were prepared by mechanically immobilizing HA particles of different size during the regeneration of cellulose. [...].