Segmental Bone Defect Repair

Despite impressive advances in regenerating bone tissue, there are still significant limitations in the ability to heal segmental bone defects. These drawbacks are mainly due to the simultaneous need for load-bearing, osteoinductive materials and rapid vascularization of the implant. Our research efforts focus on creating novel materials and methods for stimulation that can enhance the formation of new bone tissue as well as provide immediate nutrient delivery to growing cells and tissue. Utilizing 3D printing technology, scaffolds that are hierarchically similar to natural bone tissue are being developed in combination with methods for improved osteogenesis and vascularization.

Layer-by-layer stacking of random or aligned nanofibers seeded with osteoblasts to mimic bone tissue.

Publications

H Wang, X Zhou, J Wang, X Zhang, M Zhu, H Wang “Fabrication of channeled scaffolds through polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) printed sacrificial templates for tissue formation” Bioactive materials 17, 261-275 (2022)
X Chen, X Fu, J Shi, H Wang “Regulation of the osteogenesis of pre-osteoblasts by spatial arrangement of electrospun nanofibers in two-and three-dimensional environments” Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine 9 (8), 1283-1292 (2013)