Effectiveness of bio-dispersant in homogenizing hydroxyapatite for proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast

Hydroxyapatite (HA), an inorganic compound, plays an essential role in the proliferation and differentiation of bone cells. Using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as green dispersants to improve homogenization of HA is promising in the fabrication of nanocomposite scaffolds with biocompatibility for bone tissue engineering. The HA/CNC (HC) nanoparticle suspension was incorporated in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)based scaffold to investigate the physical and chemical properties. The PVA/HC composites demonstrated high porous structure and swelling ability for cell attachment and a 3-fold improvement in compressive modulus compared with free HC scaffold. Moreover, the presence of HC nanoparticles has promoted the proliferation and mineralization of pre-osteoblast. Our findings could provide an effective strategy by using bio-dispersants to incorporate mineral elements into synthetic polymers for the fabrication of functional tissue engineering scaffolds. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Hydroxyapatite (HA) plays a crucial role in the proliferation and differentiation of bone cells. Using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as green dispersants to improve the homogenization of HA shows promise in fabricating biocompatible nanocomposite scaffolds. Incorporating HA/CNC nanoparticle suspension into a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) scaffold enhances its physical and chemical properties, resulting in improved cell attachment, compressive modulus, and promotion of pre-osteoblast proliferation and mineralization.