Two-Dimensional Magnesium Phosphate Nanosheets Form Highly Thixotropic Gels That Up-Regulate Bone Formation.
Hydrogels composed of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have become an important alternative to replace traditional inorganic scaffolds for tissue engineering. Here, we describe a novel nanocrystalline material with 2D morphology that was synthesized by tuning the crystallization of the sodium-magnesium-phosphate system. We discovered that the sodium ion can regulate the precipitation of magnesium phosphate by interacting with the crystal's surface causing a preferential crystal growth that results in 2D morphology. The 2D nanomaterial gave rise to a physical hydrogel that presented extreme thixotropy, injectability, biocompatibility, bioresorption, and long-term stability. The nanocrystalline material was characterized in vitro and in vivo and we discovered that it presented unique biological properties. Magnesium phosphate nanosheets accelerated bone healing and osseointegration by enhancing collagen formation, osteoblasts differentiation, and osteoclasts proliferation through up-regulation of COL1A1, RunX2, ALP, OCN, and OPN. In summary, the 2D magnesium phosphate nanosheets could bring a paradigm shift in the field of minimally invasive orthopedic and craniofacial interventions because it is the only material available that can be injected through high gauge needles into bone defects in order to accelerate bone healing and osseointegration.
Marco
M
Laurenti
College of Dentistry, University of Dammam , P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed
A
Al Subaie
Mohamed-Nur
MN
Abdallah
Biomaterials Laboratory, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 73 High Street, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States.
Arthur R G
AR
Cortes
Biomaterials Laboratory, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 73 High Street, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States.
Jerome L
JL
Ackerman
Hojatollah
H
Vali
Kaustuv
K
Basu
Department of Surgery, Montreal General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University , 1650 Cedar Avenue, H3G 1A4, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Yu Ling
YL
Zhang
Monzur
M
Murshed
Department of Chemistry, Université de Montreal , C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, H3C 3J7, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Satu
S
Strandman
Department of Chemistry, Université de Montreal , C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, H3C 3J7, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Julian
J
Zhu
Nicholas
N
Makhoul
Department of Surgery, Montreal General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University , 1650 Cedar Avenue, H3G 1A4, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jake E
JE
Barralet
Faleh
F
Tamimi
2D nanomaterial; biocompatible; bone tissue engineering; injectable; nanocrystalline magnesium phosphate