title: Facilitating the mineralization of oligo(poly(ethylene glycol) fumarate) hydrogel by incorporation of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles.
abstract: Exploring strategies to induce the mineralization of hydrogels is an important step toward the development of hydrogel-based materials for bone regeneration. In the current study, the effect of incorporating hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles on the mineralization capacity of an inert poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogel was investigated. HA nanoparticles were either directly loaded into oligo(poly(ethylene glycol) fumarate) (OPF) hydrogel or loaded into commonly used gelatin microsphere porogens that were subsequently integrated in the OPF matrix. Mineralization of composites after immersion of the samples in simulated body fluid up to 28 days was assessed. In contrast to the blank OPF hydrogel, the HA-containing constructs strongly mineralized such that the average rate of calcium uptake by the material was enhanced by orders of magnitude. The mineral formed was observed to be apatitic and needle shaped. The presented method allows modification of inert PEG-based hydrogels into bioactive biomaterials for applications in bone regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Nejadnik
authors.forename: Antonios G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Mikos
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Sander C G
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Leeuwenburgh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry*; D005650:Fumarates / Q000737:chemistry*; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013997:Time Factors; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D005650:Fumarates; D008903:Minerals; C508734:poly(ethylene glycol fumarate); D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D005780:Gelatin; D017886:Durapatite; D002118:Calcium