Novel Photoreactive Nanofibers for Bone Regeneration Scaffolds

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This SBIR project is designed to develop and demonstrate photoreactive nanofibers for tissue engineering scaffolds. Tissue engineering offers the possibility of aiding regeneration of tissue damaged by disease or trauma and, in some cases, of creating new tissue and replacing failing or malfunctioning organs. It is achieved through the use of degradable biomaterials to induce surrounding tissue and cell in growth or to serve as temporary scaffolds for transplanted cells to attach, grow, and maintain differentiated functions. The role of the tissue engineering scaffold is temporary, but crucial to the success of the strategy. This proposal describes a new scaffold involving novel photoreactive nanofibers and unique immobilization of bone morphology protein-2 (BMP-2). This Phase II project is expected to develop a fully synthetic, biocompatible, biodegradable, porous and mechanically strong bone tissue engineering scaffold filled with photoreactive nanofibers ready for functionalization. Specific aims of this Phase II proposal include: 1) Determine the biocompatibility of the photoreactive nanofibers on osteoblasts; 2) Demonstrate the bioactivity of BMP-2 immobilized nanofibers on C2C12 cells; 3) Optimize the sintering process to fabricate photoreactive nanofibers into tissue engineering scaffolds; 4) Evaluate the osteoblastic differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells on BMP-2 immobilized scaffolds; 5) Scale up and optimize electrospinning of photoreactive nanofibers. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Tissue engineering offers the possibility of aiding regeneration of tissue damaged by disease or trauma and, in some cases, of creating new tissue and replacing failing or malfunctioning organs. It is achieved through the use of degradable biomaterials to induce surrounding tissue and cell in growth or to serve as temporary scaffolds for transplanted cells to attach, grow, and maintain differentiated functions. In the U.S., the potential market for all applications of tissue engineering and organ regeneration exceeds 85 billion and the market for bone scaffolds is estimated at 5 billion for 2007.