Impact of Porous β-Tricalcium Phosphate Microspheres on Curcumin-Loaded Brushite Bone Cement for Bone Regeneration

Abstract

The current study aimed to create a modified injectable bone substitute (IBS) with improved osteogenic characteristics. To enhance the cement injectability and release properties of curcumin in vitro, we incorporated curcumin into β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) to create the composite supplemented with sintered porous β-TCP microspheres, which maintained good injectability with an initial setting time of 5.0 ± 1.3 min and a mechanical strength of 20.67 ± 1.3 MPa for bone cements. The differentiation potential of preosteoblast (MC3T3-E1) to osteoblasts was significantly boosted by incorporating curcumin, which triggered Col I, upregulated OPN expression, and boosted alkaline phosphatase activity. Bone regeneration was hastened after the in vivo implantation of curcumin-modified brushite (BR4P2C) cement into the implanted femoral defects, and the rate of cement disintegration was accelerated. As a result, the translational application of modified BR4P2C in preliminary research has the potential to serve as an IBS with curcumin, which has an exceptional ability to repair bone lesions.