Is Graphene a Promising Nano-Material for Promoting Surface Modification of Implants or Scaffold Materials in Bone Tissue Engineering?

Abstract

Bone tissue engineering promises to restore bone defects that are caused by severe trauma, congenital malformations, tumors, and nonunion fractures. How to effectively promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or seed cells has become a hot topic in this field. Many researchers are studying the ways of conferring a pro-osteodifferentiation or osteoinductive capability on implants or scaffold materials, where osteogenesis of seed cells is promoted. Graphene (G) provides a new kind of coating material that may confer the pro-osteodifferentiation capability on implants and scaffold materials by surface modification. Here, we review recent studies on the effects of graphene on surface modifications of implants or scaffold materials. The ability of graphene to improve the mechanical and biological properties of implants or scaffold materials, such as nitinol and carbon nanotubes, and its ability to promote the adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of MSCs or osteoblasts have been demonstrated in several studies. Most previous studies were performed in vitro, but further studies will explore the mechanisms of graphene's effects on bone regeneration, its in vivo biocompatibility, its ability to promote osteodifferentiation, and its potential applications in bone tissue engineering.

In vitro and in vivo biocompatibility and osteogenesis of graphene-reinforced nanohydroxyapatite polyamide66 ternary biocomposite as orthopedic implant material

“…43 The application of graphene in the field of bone tissue engineering has drawn great attention not only because of its vast specific surface area, which can enhance the mechanical properties of polymer materials, but also because of its bioactivity, which can promote MSC adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation. 29 In this study, enhancing the nHA/PA66 composite with graphene led to enhanced cell spreading and extending. The cytoskeleton was more obvious, and the cell density was higher in early coculture stages.…”

“…There have been very few related studies on the in vivo safety of such composite materials; moreover, the results from these studies have not been consistent and are even contradictory. 29 In this study, the liver, spleen, kidney, brain, and other major organs were investigated, and no obvious abnormalities were observed. The tissue surrounding the implant showed no inflammation.…”

“…Currently, to the best of our knowledge, reports regarding the in vivo application of graphene-reinforced polymer composites for bone tissue engineering are rare. 29,30 We prepared a graphene (G)/nHA/ PA66 bone screw, implanted it into dogs, and studied its in vivo biocompatibility. The results revealed that graphene effectively enhanced the mechanical properties of nHA/ PA66 composites, and demonstrated remarkable bioactivity and biocompatibility.…”

Graphene‐Based Materials in Regenerative Medicine

“…[ 113 ] However, remodeling large bone defects caused by severe trauma, congenital malformations, tumors, and nonunion fractures is limited. [ 114 ] Bone tissue engineering offers a promising new approach for clinical use, in which autologous cells are co-cultured with biomaterial scaffolds. [ 115 ] Before talking about the role and probable interactions of graphene in bone tissue regeneration, we need to recall the typical types of cells exist in human bone-related biological environment.…”

Two and three-dimensional graphene substrates to magnify osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells

“…The remarkable effects of graphene in osteogenic differentiation of stem cells support its introduction as an alternative material for bone regeneration [3][4][5][6]9,[11][12][13][14][15]. Graphene-based materials can accelerate the differentiation towards osteoblast-like cells [3][4][5][6].…”