Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration

Research Line Leader: Prof. Maria Pau Ginebra

Although calcium phosphates stand as excellent bone substitutes due to their close similarity to the mineral phase of bone, their success is still far from that of autographs. It is in this context that we are investigating several approaches towards improving their performance:

1. Design of injectable calcium phosphates foams with osteoinductive properties. Our objective is to investigate the properties of materials governing osteoinduction such as texture, reactivity and their combination with different molecules to improve osteoinduction (in vitro and in vivo).
   
   

   Macroporous calcium phosphate foams © David Pastorino; Bone cell growing on a calcium phosphate ciment © Sergio del Valle

2. Design of new biomimetic calcium phosphates for the local delivery of antibiotics and biologically relevant ions. This research line seeks to develop new synthetic substitutes with additional therapeutic functions (e.g. antibacterial properties, improved angiogenesis, etc,). A point of particular interest is to develop injectable materials.
   
   

   © Cédric Labay

3. Development of scaffolds for tissue engineering through 3D printing technologies. This includes the development of bioactive inks to allow printing calcium phosphates and hydrogels. We also work in the development of complex core-shell inks that combine different materials to allow incorporating biologically active molecules and cells in the printing process.

   

   3D printed calcium phosphate scaffolds © Yassine Maazouz; Tomographies of 3D printed calcium phosphate scaffolds© Albert Barba

4. Development of calcium phosphate nanoparticles doped with different ions as strategy to control cell behaviour. Doping allows introducing inside the cell critical ions escaping the tight regulation imposed by ion channels. This strategy has been explored as a tool to treat cancer, to fight bacterial infection, or to even enhance the proliferation to mesenchymal stem cells.
   
   

   Calcium phosphate nanoparticles and cells growing on the nanoparticles © Montserrat Espanyol