Regeneration of large bone defects remains a clinical challenge until today. While existing biomaterials are predominantly addressing bone healing via direct, intramembranous ossification (IO), bone tissue formation via a cartilage phase, so-called endochondral ossification (EO) has been shown to be a promising alternative strategy. However, pure biomaterial approaches for EO induction are sparse and the knowledge how material components can have bioactive contribution to the required cartilage formation is limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTissue formation and healing both require cell proliferation and migration, but also extracellular matrix production and tensioning. In addition to restricting proliferation of damaged cells, increasing evidence suggests that cellular senescence also has distinct modulatory effects during wound healing and fibrosis. Yet, a direct role of senescent cells during tissue formation beyond paracrine signaling remains unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelective laser sintering (SLS) is an established method to produce dimensionally accurate scaffolds for tissue engineering (TE) applications, especially in bone. In this context, the FDA-approved, biodegradable polymer poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) has been suggested as a suitable scaffold material. However, PCL scaffold mechanical stability - an attribute of particular importance in the field of bone TE - was not considered as a primary target for SLS process parameters optimization so far.
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