Electroconductive Polythiophene Nanocomposite Fibrous Scaffolds for Enhanced Osteogenic Differentiation via Electrical Stimulation

Abstract

Biophysical cues are key distinguishing characteristics that influence tissue development and regeneration, and significant efforts have been made to alter the cellular behavior by means of cell−substrate interactions and external stimuli. Electrically conductive nanofibers are capable of treating bone defects since they closely mimic the fibrillar architecture of the bone matrix and deliver the endogenous and exogenous electric fields required to direct cell activities. Nevertheless, previous studies on conductive polymer-based scaffolds have been limited to polypyrrole, polyaniline, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). In the present study, chemically synthesized polythiophene nanoparticles (PTh NPs) are incorporated into polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers, and subsequent changes in physicochemical, mechanical, and electrical properties are observed in a concentration-dependent manner. In murine preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1), we examine how substrate properties modified by adding PTh NPs contribute to changes in the cellular behavior, including viability, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization. Additionally, we determine that external electrical stimulation (ES) mediated by PTh NPs positively affects such osteogenic responses. Together, our results provide insights into polythiophene's potential as an electroconductive composite scaffold material.

Integrated Piezoelectric/Conductive Composite Cryogel Creates Electroactive Microenvironment for Enhanced Bone Regeneration

“…Conductive materials are able to conduct bioelectric signals and mimic the micro current environment of bone tissue, but external electric fields are needed, which brings inconvenience to implant applications. [ 23 ] To address these limitations, this study adopted a combined conductive and piezoelectric approach. Specifically, a conductive matrix was used to bridge piezoelectric material, and an integrated piezoelectric/conductive network was established inside the scaffold to facilitate the free flow of charges.…”

Porous biomaterial scaffolds for skeletal muscle tissue engineering

“…A hyperbranched aliphatic polyester (HAP)-PTh-PCL scaffold was found to have a Young’s modulus of 59.81 kPa compared to 24.7 kPa for skeletal muscle ( Jaymand et al, 2016 ). Other studies, however, have shown that the addition of PTh into another material caused the mechanical properties (such as the Young’s modulus) to decrease ( Dias et al, 2019 ; Park et al, 2022 ). Although PTh suffers from similar issues as other CPs such as brittleness and reduction in Young’s modulus, these problems have been resolved by the addition of other biomaterials into the scaffold.…”

Bioprinting for bone tissue engineering

“…They can be self-assembled by achieving a reversible state transformation and function as needed (Neffe et al, 2021). Stimulus-responsive materials are required to fabricate printed structures in response to external stimuli for shape transformation and functional tuning (Park et al, 2022). According to different types of stimuli, smart materials are divided into physical, chemical, and biological stimulus responsiveness (Figure 1A).…”

“…Globally, many reconstructive procedures are required yearly to cope with bone defects caused by accidental fractures, osteoporosis, cancer, and hereditary diseases such as chondromalacia (Sun et al, 2022). Although bone has the intrinsic property of selfrepair, in many cases, bone cannot fully regenerate and requires external stimulation (Chircov et al, 2021;Park et al, 2022), which leads to a very high number of patients with bone defects requiring bone grafts or replacements. Current solutions to address bone defect disorders include medical procedures, grafting, and pharmacological treatments.…”