An injectable and antibacterial calcium phosphate scaffold inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus and supporting stem cells for bone regeneration.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is the major pathogen for osteomyelitis, which can lead to bone necrosis and destruction. There has been no report on antibacterial calcium phosphate cement (CPC) against S. aureus. The aims of this study were to: (1) develop novel antibacterial CPC-chitosan-alginate microbead scaffold; (2) investigate mechanical and antibacterial properties of CPC-chitosan-penicillin-alginate scaffold; (3) evaluate the encapsulation and delivery of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs). Flexural strength, elastic modulus and work-of-fracture of the CPC-chitosan-penicillin-alginate microbeads scaffold and CPC-chitosan scaffold were evaluated. Penicillin release profile and antibacterial effects on S. aureus were determined. The hUCMSC delivery and release from penicillin-alginate microbeads were investigated. Injectable CPC-chitosan-penicillin-alginate microbeads scaffold was developed for the first time. CPC-chitosan-penicillin-alginate microbeads scaffold had a flexural strength of 3.16 ± 0.55 MPa, matching that of cancellous bone. With sustained penicillin release, the new scaffold had strong antibacterial effects on S. aureus, with an inhibition zone diameter of 32.2 ± 2.5 mm, greater than that of penicillin disk control (15.1 ± 2.0 mm) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, this injectable and antibacterial scaffold had no toxic effects, yielding excellent hUCMSC viability, which was similar to that of CPC control without antibacterial activity (p > 0.05). CPC-chitosan-penicillin-microbeads scaffold had injectability, good strength, strong antibacterial effects, and good biocompatibility to support stem cell viability for osteogenesis. CPC-chitosan-penicillin-microbeads scaffold is promising for dental, craniofacial and orthopedic applications to combat infections and promote bone regeneration.