Facilitating the mineralization of oligo(poly(ethylene glycol) fumarate) hydrogel by incorporation of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

• Published in: Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A Vol. 100A; no. 5; pp. 1316 - 1323
• Main Authors: Nejadnik, M. Reza, Mikos, Antonios G., Jansen, John A., Leeuwenburgh, Sander C. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.05.2012; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Fluids - chemistry; bone regeneration; Calcium - metabolism; Cattle; Cell physiology; composite; Durapatite - chemistry; Fumarates - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gelatin - chemistry; hydrogel; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate - chemistry; hydroxyapatite nanoparticles; Medical sciences; mineralization; Mineralization, calcification; Minerals - chemistry; Molecular and cellular biology; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoparticles - ultrastructure; Orthopedic surgery; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments; Time Factors; X-Ray Diffraction; Incorporation; Nanoparticle; Bone regeneration; Hydroxyapatite; hydroxyapatite nanoparticles; Composite material; Ethylene oxide polymer; Cyclic ether polymer; Mineralization; composite; Biomaterial; Hydrogel; Biomedical engineering
• ISSN: 1549-3296; 1552-4965; 1552-4965
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.34071

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. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 2012.