Simvastatin Embedded into Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid)-Based Scaffolds in Promoting Preclinical Bone Regeneration: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Simvastatin embedded into poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based scaffolds can stimulate bone regeneration in preclinical models. However, the ideal pharmacological dose has not been evaluated. This systematic review reports on the simvastatin doses used in preclinical studies and evaluates the regeneration of critical-sized bone defects. References were selected in a two-phase process. Electronic databases (Embase, LILACS, LIVIVO, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) and grey literature databases (Google Scholar, Open Grey, and ProQuest) were searched until September 2022. The risk of bias was considered to be low based on the SYRCLE tool. We identified four studies in rat, two in parietal and two in calvaria bone, one in mouse parietal bone, and one in rabbit femur bone. Simvastatin, ranging from 8 to 100 µg, significantly increased bone formation in five studies, as compared to the scaffold alone based on µ-computed tomography, histomorphometric, and radiography analysis. The median increase in bone formation caused by simvastatin was 2.1-fold compared to the PLGA-based scaffold alone. There was, however, no significant correlation between the relative bone gain and the doses of simvastatin (p = 0.37). The data suggest that relatively lower doses of simvastatin can consistently promote preclinical bone regeneration. However, the interpretation of these data must consider the heterogenicity of the PLGA-scaffolds, the defect anatomy, the observation period, and the evaluation method.

Immediate Autogenous Bone Transplantation Using a Novel Kinetic Bioactive Screw 3D Design as a Dental Implant

“…One of the goals of regenerative medicine is to biodegrade bone graft substitutes in the alveolus after extraction. In a study comparing the effects of a new bioresorbable nanostructured carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) with a bovine xenograft and a clot, CHA was shown to promote a higher rate of biodegradation and was a promising biomaterial for surgical alveolar preservation prior to implant treatment [16,17]. The accurate fitting and anchoring of bone grafts to the site are critical for the healing process.…”

“…The idea with the tissue engineering scaffold is that you want to make a material that substitutes for the extracellular matrix on a temporary basis, allowing the cells to migrate, proliferate, differentiate, and attach to it, reestablishing their normal function, and secreting natural extracellular matrix [17]. It provides a synthetic.…”

“…There are two types of scaffolds: natural, such as in skin, collagen and elastin (structural proteins), fibronectin and laminin (adhesive proteins), and proteoglycans mostly glycosaminoglycans (core proteins); in bone, collagen and hydroxyapatite (structural proteins and minerals); and synthetic scaffolds, ceramic and metal-based, responsible for vascular ingrowth and promoting bone repair (osteoconduction) [14,15,17].…”