Design of Boron Nitride/Gelatin Electrospun Nanofibers for Bone Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Gelatin is a biodegradable biopolymer obtained by collagen denaturation, which shows poor mechanical properties. Hence, improving its mechanical properties is very essential toward the fabrication of efficient nontoxic material for biomedical applications. For this aim, various methods are employed using external fillers such as ceramics or bioglass. In this report, we introduce boron nitride (BN)-reinforced gelatin as a new class of two-dimensional biocompatible nanomaterials. The effect of the nanofiller on the mechanical behavior is analyzed. BN is efficiently exfoliated using the biopolymer gelatin as shown through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The exfoliated BN reinforces gelatin electrospun fibers, which results in an increase in the Young's modulus. The Electrospun Mats (ESM) are stable after the glutaraldehyde cross-linking, and the fibrous morphology is preserved. The cross-linked gelatin/BN ESM is highly bioactive in forming bonelike hydroxyapatite as shown by scanning electron microscopy. Due to their enhanced mineralization ability, the cross-linked ESM have been tested on human bone cells (HOS osteosarcoma cell line). The cell attachment, proliferation, and biocompatibility results show that the ESM are nontoxic and biodegradable. The analysis of osteoblast gene expression and the measurement of alkaline phosphatase activity confirm that these materials are suitable for bone tissue engineering.

The Tunable Porous Structure of Gelatin–Bioglass Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications: Physicochemical, Mechanical, and In Vitro Properties

“…To overcome this issue, bioceramics with high corrosion and compression resistance can be added to gelatin. The same results have been observed by Nagarajan et al They added boron nitride and graphene oxide to electrospun gelatin nanofibers separately, which then led to improved mechanical strength and scaffold–tissue interactions. The ability of bioactive ceramics, such as hydroxyapatite (HAP), calcium phosphate, and bioactive glasses (BG) to react with physiological fluids also resulted in the formation of mineralized layers and superior regeneration of bone defects .…”

<p>Electrospun polycaprolactone/collagen nanofibers cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/<em>N-</em>hydroxysuccinimide and genipin facilitate endothelial cell regeneration and may be a promising candidate for vascular scaffolds</p>

“…The degradation of nanofiber membranes was measured according to previously published methods. 10,21 In brief, membranes were cut into 1×1 cm 2 and weighed (W i ) and then soaked into degradation solution, which consisted of 1 mL PBS and 12 µg collagenase type I. These membranes were allowed to degrade at 37°C, shaking slowly at 50 rpm.…”

“…27,31 As shown in Figure 4, 1,638 cm -1 (amide I band), 1,548 cm -1 (amide II band), 1,236-1,241 cm -1 (amide III band), and 3,300 cm -1 (amide A band) bands were also visible, which provided evidence of the presence of collagen. 21 However, these were weak in the membranes cross-linked with EDC/NHS and genipin. The amide I band curves of MGA and SGA were nearly unshifted compared with fresh MF and SF, indicating that the second structure of collagen was not destroyed.…”

Comparison of Different Approaches to Surface Functionalization of Biodegradable Polycaprolactone Scaffolds

“…The highly supersaturated 5× SBF was continuously bubbled with carbon dioxide to keep the solution transparent throughout the experiment. Nagarajan et al [13] carried out biomineralization of gelatin nanofibers using 1.5× SBF. Boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles added to the gelatin nanofibers were shown to significantly increase their bioactivity since the vacant "p" orbital of the boron atom in the BN is responsible for the Lewis acid nature.…”