Facile design of biofunctionalized nanocomposite hydrogel to potentiate angiogenesis and osteogenesis for the skull regeneration

Abstract

The clinical treatment of cranial defect reconstruction using hydrogels faces challenges such as inadequate biomechanical strength and limited biofunctional effects. In this study, we have addressed these issues by developing a novel hydrogel. This hydrogel composes desferrioxamine-modified laponite nanoplatelets (LAP/DFO) combined with tannin-modified poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA/TA), aiming to closely emulate the natural organic-inorganic bony matrix. Our results indicated that the multifunctional hydrogel system, particularly when incorporating LAP/DFO (referred to as PL10), could form a highly ordered porous structure, achieve appropriate biomechanical strength, and release bioactive factors as expected. This system enhanced the adhesion and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) for angiogenesis and promoted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) osteogenic differentiation for osteogenesis . Moreover, investigations confirmed the efficacy of the multifunctional hydrogels, particularly PL10, in enhancing bone regeneration compared to blank PVA. Collectively, this study contributes valuable insights into the design of bioactive factor delivery systems and offers efficient therapeutic strategies for promoting the repair of cranial defects.