Enzymatic, urease-mediated mineralization of gellan gum hydrogel with calcium carbonate, magnesium-enriched calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate for bone regeneration applications

Apatite Formation on α-Tricalcium Phosphate Modified with Bioresponsive Ceramics in Simulated Body Fluid Containing Alkaline Phosphatase

Bioresponsive ceramics, a new concept in ceramic biomaterials, respond to biological molecules or environments, as exemplified by salts composed of calcium ions and phosphate esters (SCPEs). SCPEs have been shown to form apatite in simulated body fluid (SBF) containing alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Thus, surface modification with SCPEs is expected to improve the apatite-forming ability of a material. In this study, we modified the surface of α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) using methyl, butyl, or dodecyl phosphate to form SCPEs and investigated their apatite formation in SBF and SBF containing ALP. Although apatite did not form on the surface of the unmodified α-TCP in SBF, apatite formation was observed following surface modification with methyl or butyl phosphate. When ALP was present in SBF, apatite formation was especially remarkable on α-TCP modified with butyl phosphate. These SCPEs accelerated apatite formation by releasing calcium ions through dissolution and supplying inorganic phosphate ions, with the latter process only occurring in SBF containing ALP. Notably, no apatite formation occurred on α-TCP modified with dodecyl phosphate, likely because of the low solubility of the resulting calcium dodecyl phosphate/calcium phosphate composites. This new method of using SCPEs is anticipated to contribute to the development of novel ceramic biomaterials.

Surface functionalization of calcium magnesium phosphate cements with alginate sodium for enhanced bone regeneration via TRPM7/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Although calcium‑magnesium phosphate cements (CMPCs) have been widely applied to treating critical-size bone defects, their repair efficiency is unsatisfactory owing to their weak surface bioactivity and uncontrolled ion release. In this study, we lyophilized alginate sodium (AS) as a coating onto HAp/K-struvite (H@KSv) to develop AS/HAp/K-struvite (AH@KSv), which promotes bone regeneration. The compressive strength and hydrophilicity of AH@KSv significantly improved, leading to enhanced cell adhesion in vitro. Importantly, the SA coating enables continuous ions release of Mg2+ and Ca2+, finally leading to enhanced osteogenesis in vitro/vivo and different patterns of new bone ingrowth in vivo. Furthermore, these composites increased the expression levels of biomarkers of the TRPM7/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway via an equilibrium effect of Mg2+ to Ca2+. In conclusion, our study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of Mg-based biomaterials for bone regeneration.

Synthesis and characterization of gellan gum-based hydrogels for drug delivery applications

In this study, gellan gum (Gel) derivatives were allowed to interact via aqueous Diels-Alder chemistry without the need for initiators, producing a crosslinked hydrogel network that exhibited good potential as a drug carrier using tramadol as a drug model. Hydrogel conjugation was achieved by the synthesis of a maleimide and furan-functionalized Gel, and the pre- and post-gelation chemical structure of the resulting hydrogel precursors was fully investigated. Potential uses of the developed hydrogel in the pharmaceutical industry were also evaluated by looking at its gelation duration, temperature, morphologies, swelling, biodegradation, and mechanical characteristics. The Gel-FM hydrogels were safe, showed good antimicrobial activity, and had a low storage modulus, which meant that they could be used in many biochemical fields. The encapsulation and release of tramadol from the hydrogel system in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 37 °C were investigated under acidic and slightly alkaline conditions, replicating the stomach and intestinal tracts, respectively. The in-vitro release profile showed promising results for drug encapsulation, revealing that the drug could safely be well-encapsulated in acidic stomach environments and released more quickly in slightly alkaline intestinal environments. This implies that the hydrogels produced could work well as polymers for specifically delivering medication to the colon.

Octacalcium Phosphate-Laden Hydrogels on 3D-Printed Titanium Biomaterials Improve Corrosion Resistance in Simulated Biological Media

The inflammatory-associated corrosion of metallic dental and orthopedic implants causes significant complications, which may result in the implant's failure. The corrosion resistance can be improved with coatings and surface treatments, but at the same time, it might affect the ability of metallic implants to undergo proper osteointegration. In this work, alginate hydrogels with and without octacalcium phosphate (OCP) were made on 3D-printed (patterned) titanium alloys (Ti Group 2 and Ti-Al-V Group 23) to enhance their anticorrosion properties in simulated normal, inflammatory, and severe inflammatory conditions in vitro. Alginate (Alg) and OCP-laden alginate (Alg/OCP) hydrogels were manufactured on the surface of 3D-printed Ti substrates and were characterized with wettability analysis, XRD, and FTIR. The electrochemical characterization of the samples was carried out with open circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It was observed that the hydrophilicity of Alg/OCP coatings was higher than that of pure Alg and that OCP phase crystallinity was increased when samples were subjected to simulated biological media. The corrosion resistance of uncoated and coated samples was lower in inflammatory and severe inflammatory environments vs. normal media, but the hydrogel coatings on 3D-printed Ti layers moved the corrosion potential towards more nobler values, reducing the corrosion current density in all simulated solutions. These measurements revealed that OCP particles in the Alg hydrogel matrix noticeably increased the electrical charge transfer resistance at the substrate and coating interface more than with Alg hydrogel alone.

Calcium carbonate: controlled synthesis, surface functionalization, and nanostructured materials

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) is an important inorganic mineral in biological and geological systems. Traditionally, it is widely used in plastics, papermaking, ink, building materials, textiles, cosmetics, and food. Over the last decade, there has been rapid development in the controlled synthesis and surface modification of CaCO₃, the stabilization of amorphous CaCO₃ (ACC), and CaCO₃-based nanostructured materials. In this review, the controlled synthesis of CaCO₃ is first examined, including Ca²⁺-CO₃^2- systems, solid-liquid-gas carbonation, water-in-oil reverse emulsions, and biomineralization. Advancing insights into the nucleation and crystallization of CaCO₃ have led to the development of efficient routes towards the controlled synthesis of CaCO₃ with specific sizes, morphologies, and polymorphs. Recently-developed surface modification methods of CaCO₃ include organic and inorganic modifications, as well as intensified surface reactions. The resultant CaCO₃ can then be further engineered via template-induced biomineralization and layer-by-layer assembly into porous, hollow, or core-shell organic-inorganic nanocomposites. The introduction of CaCO₃ into nanostructured materials has led to a significant improvement in the mechanical, optical, magnetic, and catalytic properties of such materials, with the resultant CaCO₃-based nanostructured materials showing great potential for use in biomaterials and biomedicine, environmental remediation, and energy production and storage. The influences that the preparation conditions and additives have on ACC preparation and stabilization are also discussed. Studies indicate that ACC can be used to construct environmentally-friendly hybrid films, supramolecular hydrogels, and drug vehicles. Finally, the existing challenges and future directions of the controlled synthesis and functionalization of CaCO₃ and its expanding applications are highlighted.

Reinforcing hydrogels with in situ formed amorphous CaCO3

Hydrogels are often employed for tissue engineering and moistening applications. However, they are rarely used for load-bearing purposes because of their limited stiffness and the stiffness-toughness compromise inherent to them. By contrast, nature uses hydrogel-based materials as scaffolds for load-bearing and protecting materials by mineralizing them. Inspired by nature, the stiffness or toughness of synthetic hydrogels has been increased by forming minerals, such as CaCO₃, within them. However, the degree of hydrogel reinforcement achieved with CaCO₃ remains limited. To address this limitation, we form CaCO₃ biominerals in situ within a model hydrogel, poly(acrylamide) (PAM), and systematically investigate the influence of the size, structure, and morphology of the reinforcing CaCO₃ on the mechanical properties of the resulting hydrogels. We demonstrate that especially the structure of CaCO₃ and its affinity to the hydrogel matrix strongly influence the mechanical properties of mineralized hydrogels. For example, while the fracture energy of PAM hydrogels is increased 3-fold if reinforced with individual micro-sized CaCO₃ crystals, it increases by a factor of 13 if reinforced with a percolating amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) nano-structure that forms in the presence of a sufficient quantity of Mg²⁺. If PAM is further functionalized with acrylic acid (AA) that possesses a high affinity towards ACC, the stiffness of the hydrogel increases by a factor 50. These fundamental insights on the structure-mechanical property relationship of hydrogels that have been functionalized with in situ formed minerals has the potential to enable tuning the mechanical properties of mineralized hydrogels over a much wider range than what is currently possible.

Preparation and evaluation of gellan gum hydrogel reinforced with silk fibers with enhanced mechanical and biological properties for cartilage tissue engineering

Various research about cartilage regeneration using biomaterials has been done recently. Particularly, gellan gum hydrogel (GG) is reported to be suitable as a biomaterial for cartilage tissue engineering (TE) for its water uptaking ability, producibility, and environmental resemblance of native cartilage. Despite these advantages, mechanical and cell adhesion properties are still difficult to modulate. Reinforcement is essential to overcome these problems. Herein, GG was modified by physically blending with different lengths of silk fiber (SF). As SF is expected to improve such disadvantages of GG, mechanical and biological properties were characterized to confirm its reinforcement ability. Mechanical properties such as degradation rate, swelling rate, compression strength, and viscosity were studied and it was confirmed that SF significantly reinforces the mechanical properties of GG. Furthermore, in vitro study was carried out to confirm morphology, biocompatibility, proliferation, and chondrogenesis of chondrocytes encapsulated in the hydrogels. Overall, chondrocytes in the GG blended with SF (SF/GG) showed enhanced cell viability and growth. According to this study, SF/GG can be a promising biomaterial for cartilage TE biomaterial.

Identification and Analysis of Key Parameters for the Ossification on Particle Functionalized Composites Hydrogel Materials

Developing materials for tissue engineering and studying the mechanisms of cell adhesion is a complex and multifactor process that needs analysis using physical chemistry and biology. The major challenge is the labor-intensive data mining as well as requirements of the number of advanced techniques. For example, hydrogel-based biomaterials with cell-binding sites, tunable mechanical properties, and complex architectures have emerged as a powerful tool to control cell adhesion and proliferation for tissue engineering. Composite hydrogels could be used for bone tissue regeneration, but they exhibit poor ossification properties. In current work, we have designed new osteoinductive gellan gum hydrogels by a thermal annealing approach and consequently functionalized them with Ca/Mg carbonate submicron particles. Determination of key parameters, which influence a successful hydroxyapatite generation, was done via the principal component analysis of 18 parameters (Young's modulus of the hydrogel and particles, particle size, and mass) and cell behavior at various time points (like viability, numbers of the cells, rate of alkaline phosphatase production, and cells area) obtained by characterizing such composite hydrogel. It is determined that the particles size and concentration of calcium ions have a dominant effect on the hydroxyapatite formation, because of providing local areas with a high Young's modulus in a hydrogel, a desirable property for cell adhesion. The detailed analysis presented here allows identifying hydrogels for cell growth applications, while on the other hand, material properties can be predicted, and their overall number can be minimized leading to efficient optimization of bone reconstruction and other cell growth applications.

Impact of rasagiline nanoparticles on brain targeting efficiency via gellan gum based transdermal patch: A nanotheranostic perspective for Parkinsonism

Rasagiline mesylate is used as first line agent for early management of Parkinson's disease but its water soluble nature creates hurdles to cross blood brain barrier also its low oral bioavailability and rapid elimination requires frequent dosing. Thus present study aims to prepare rasagiline mesylate-nanoparticles (RM-NPs) loaded gellan gum transdermal film for non-invasive; self-administration in elderly patients. PLGA coated RM-NPs prepared by solvent evaporation technique were incorporated into film prepared by solvent casting method. Optimized films with 1.127 g gellan gum and 1.962 % linoleic acid showed enhanced ex-vivo diffusion over a period of 72 h. Comparative pharmacokinetic study revealed increased bioavailability of rasagiline on transdermal application compared to oral route. In-vivo anti-Parkinson activity estimated by behavioural and biochemical analysis indicate reserpine to interfere with monoamine storage hence resulting in development of akinesia and PD-like symptoms in rats. Brain targeting monitored by gamma imaging showed effective brain drug uptake from transdermal film which was also supported by increased brain targeting efficiency estimated from biodistribution study. Thus, the data support efficacy of gellan gum film to target drug to brain region compared to oral route and hence can be employed as a convenient approach for long-term treatment of Parkinson's disease in elderly patients.

Marine-Inspired Enzymatic Mineralization of Dairy-Derived Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) Hydrogels for Bone Tissue Regeneration

Whey protein isolate (WPI) is a by-product from the production of cheese and Greek yoghurt comprising β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) (75%). Hydrogels can be produced from WPI solutions through heating; hydrogels can be sterilized by autoclaving. WPI hydrogels have shown cytocompatibility and ability to enhance proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone-forming cells. Hence, they have promise in the area of bone tissue regeneration. In contrast to commonly used ceramic minerals for bone regeneration, a major advantage of hydrogels is the ease of their modification by incorporating biologically active substances such as enzymes. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is the main inorganic component of the exoskeletons of marine invertebrates. Two polymorphs of CaCO3, calcite and aragonite, have shown the ability to promote bone regeneration. Other authors have reported that the addition of magnesium to inorganic phases has a beneficial effect on bone-forming cell growth. In this study, we employed a biomimetic, marine-inspired approach to mineralize WPI hydrogels with an inorganic phase consisting of CaCO3 (mainly calcite) and CaCO3 enriched with magnesium using the calcifying enzyme urease. The novelty of this study lies in both the enzymatic mineralization of WPI hydrogels and enrichment of the mineral with magnesium. Calcium was incorporated into the mineral formed to a greater extent than magnesium. Increasing the concentration of magnesium in the mineralization medium led to a reduction in the amount and crystallinity of the mineral formed. Biological studies revealed that mineralized and unmineralized hydrogels were not cytotoxic and promoted cell viability to comparable extents (approximately 74% of standard tissue culture polystyrene). The presence of magnesium in the mineral formed had no adverse effect on cell viability. In short, WPI hydrogels, both unmineralized and mineralized with CaCO3 and magnesium-enriched CaCO3, show potential as biomaterials for bone regeneration.

Polymer- and Hybrid-Based Biomaterials for Interstitial, Connective, Vascular, Nerve, Visceral and Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering

In this review, materials based on polymers and hybrids possessing both organic and inorganic contents for repairing or facilitating cell growth in tissue engineering are discussed. Pure polymer based biomaterials are predominantly used to target soft tissues. Stipulated by possibilities of tuning the composition and concentration of their inorganic content, hybrid materials allow to mimic properties of various types of harder tissues. That leads to the concept of "one-matches-all" referring to materials possessing the same polymeric base, but different inorganic content to enable tissue growth and repair, proliferation of cells, and the formation of the ECM (extra cellular matrix). Furthermore, adding drug delivery carriers to coatings and scaffolds designed with such materials brings additional functionality by encapsulating active molecules, antibacterial agents, and growth factors. We discuss here materials and methods of their assembly from a general perspective together with their applications in various tissue engineering sub-areas: interstitial, connective, vascular, nervous, visceral and musculoskeletal tissues. The overall aims of this review are two-fold: (a) to describe the needs and opportunities in the field of bio-medicine, which should be useful for material scientists, and (b) to present capabilities and resources available in the area of materials, which should be of interest for biologists and medical doctors.

3D Chitin Scaffolds of Marine Demosponge Origin for Biomimetic Mollusk Hemolymph-Associated Biomineralization Ex-Vivo

Structure-based tissue engineering requires large-scale 3D cell/tissue manufacture technologies, to produce biologically active scaffolds. Special attention is currently paid to naturally pre-designed scaffolds found in skeletons of marine sponges, which represent a renewable resource of biomaterials. Here, an innovative approach to the production of mineralized scaffolds of natural origin is proposed. For the first time, a method to obtain calcium carbonate deposition ex vivo, using living mollusks hemolymph and a marine-sponge-derived template, is specifically described. For this purpose, the marine sponge Aplysin aarcheri and the terrestrial snail Cornu aspersum were selected as appropriate 3D chitinous scaffold and as hemolymph donor, respectively. The formation of calcium-based phase on the surface of chitinous matrix after its immersion into hemolymph was confirmed by Alizarin Red staining. A direct role of mollusks hemocytes is proposed in the creation of fine-tuned microenvironment necessary for calcification ex vivo. The X-ray diffraction pattern of the sample showed a high CaCO3 amorphous content. Raman spectroscopy evidenced also a crystalline component, with spectra corresponding to biogenic calcite. This study resulted in the development of a new biomimetic product based on ex vivo synthetized ACC and calcite tightly bound to the surface of 3D sponge chitin structure.

The effect of hybrid coatings based on hydrogel, biopolymer and inorganic components on the corrosion behavior of titanium bone implants

Modification of titanium (Ti) bone implant materials with hybrid organic-inorganic coatings is a novel promising approach to improve the osteoconductivity and osteointegration of implants and prevent their failure after implantation. However, in these coatings, which are mostly hydrophilic, chemically active moieties capable of releasing oxidizing ions can have a significant influence on the corrosion resistance of Ti, which is critical for the Ti implant osteointegration behavior. In this research, in order to study the dependence of the change of the corrosion behavior of Ti on the composition of the coating, Ti surfaces were modified with various coatings: organic (alginate hydrogel crosslinked with Ca²⁺ ions (Alg), and dextran sulfate (DS)), inorganic (porous calcium carbonate CaCO₃), and composite organic-inorganic (Alg-CaCO₃, DS-CaCO₃). The morphology and composition of these materials before and after the corrosion experiment, performed in simulated body fluid (SBF), were followed by extensive characterization. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed to study the corrosion behavior of the prepared materials in SBF. The characteristics obtained during the EIS measurements revealed the dependence of the variation of the corrosion resistance level on the composition of the coating. The bare Ti surface had the higher value of the total impedance compared with the modified surfaces, while the Ti surfaces modified with organic coatings demonstrated the best charge transfer resistance in comparison with the coatings containing the inorganic CaCO₃ component and uncoated Ti.

Hybrids of Polymeric Capsules, Lipids, and Nanoparticles: Thermodynamics and Temperature Rise at the Nanoscale and Emerging Applications

The importance of thermodynamics does not need to be emphasized. Indeed, elevated temperature processes govern not only industrial scale production but also self-assembly, chemical reaction, interaction between molecules, etc. Not surprisingly, biological processes typically take place at a specific temperature. Here, we look at possibilities to raise the localized temperature by a laser around noble-metal nanoparticles incorporated into shells of layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte microcapsules-freely suspended delivery vehicles in an aqueous solution, developed in the Department of Interfaces, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, headed by Helmuth Möhwald. Understanding the mechanisms of localized temperature rise is essential, that is why we analyze the influence of incident intensity, nanoparticle size, their distribution and aggregation state, as well as thermodynamics at the nanoscale. This leads us to scrutinize "global" (used for thermal encapsulation) versus "local" (used for release of encapsulated materials) temperature rise. Similar analysis is extended to planar polymeric coatings, the lipid membrane system of vesicles and cells, on which nanoparticles are adsorbed. Insights are provided into the mechanisms of physicochemical and biological effects, the nature of which has always been profoundly, interactively, and engagingly discussed in the Department of Interfaces. This analysis is combined with recent developments providing outlook and highlighting a broad range of emerging applications.

Boosting mesenchymal stem cells regenerative activities on biopolymers-calcium phosphate functionalized collagen membrane

The regeneration of bone-soft tissue interface, using functional membranes, remains challenging and can be promoted by improving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) paracrine function. Herein, a collagen membrane, used as guided bone regeneration membrane, was functionalized by calcium phosphate, chitosan and hyaluronic acid hybrid coating by simultaneous spray of interacting species process. Composed of brushite, octacalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite, the hybrid coating increased the membrane stiffness by 50%. After 7 days of MSCs culture on the hybrid coated polymeric membrane, biological studies were marked by a lack of osteoblastic commitment. However, MSCs showed an enhanced proliferation along with the secretion of cytokines and growth factors that could block bone resorption and favour endothelial cell recruitment without exacerbating polynuclear neutrophils infiltration. These data shed light on the great potential of inorganic/organic coated collagen membranes as an alternative bioactive factor-like platform to improve MSCs regenerative capacity, in particular to support bone tissue vascularization and to modulate inflammatory infiltrates.

Piezoelectric 3-D Fibrous Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-Based Scaffolds Ultrasound-Mineralized with Calcium Carbonate for Bone Tissue Engineering: Inorganic Phase Formation, Osteoblast Cell Adhesion, and Proliferation

Elaboration of novel biocomposites providing simultaneously both biodegradability and stimulated bone tissue repair is essential for regenerative medicine. In particular, piezoelectric biocomposites are attractive because of a possibility to electrically stimulate cell response. In the present study, novel CaCO₃-mineralized piezoelectric biodegradable scaffolds based on two polymers, poly[( R)3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) and poly[3-hydroxybutyrate- co-3-hydroxyvalerate] (PHBV), are presented. Mineralization of the scaffold surface is carried out by the in situ synthesis of CaCO₃ in the vaterite and calcite polymorphs using ultrasound (U/S). Comparative characterization of PHB and PHBV scaffolds demonstrated an impact of the porosity and surface charge on the mineralization in a dynamic mechanical system, as no essential distinction was observed in wettability, structure, and surface chemical compositions. A significantly higher (4.3 times) piezoelectric charge and a higher porosity (∼15%) lead to a more homogenous CaCO₃ growth in 3-D fibrous structures and result in a two times higher relative mass increase for PHB scaffolds compared to that for PHBV. This also increases the local ion concentration incurred upon mineralization under U/S-generated dynamic mechanical conditions. The modification of the wettability for PHB and PHBV scaffolds from hydrophobic (nonmineralized fibers) to superhydrophilic (mineralized fibers) led to a pronounced apatite-forming behavior of scaffolds in a simulated body fluid. In turn, this results in the formation of a dense monolayer of well-distributed and proliferated osteoblast cells along the fibers. CaCO₃-mineralized PHBV surfaces had a higher osteoblast cell adhesion and proliferation assigned to a higher amount of CaCO₃ on the surface compared to that on PHB scaffolds, as incurred from micro-computed tomography (μCT). Importantly, a cell viability study confirmed biocompatibility of all the scaffolds. Thus, hybrid biocomposites based on the piezoelectric PHB polymers represent an effective scaffold platform functionalized by an inorganic phase and stimulating the growth of the bone tissue.

Bioactive glass ions induce efficient osteogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells encapsulated in gellan gum and collagen type I hydrogels

BACKGROUND

Due to unmet need for bone augmentation, our aim was to promote osteogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells (hASCs) encapsulated in gellan gum (GG) or collagen type I (COL) hydrogels with bioactive glass (experimental glass 2-06 of composition [wt-%]: Na₂O 12.1, K₂O 14.0, CaO 19.8, P₂O5 2.5, B₂O₃ 1.6, SiO₂ 50.0) extract based osteogenic medium (BaG OM) for bone construct development. GG hydrogels were crosslinked with spermidine (GG-SPD) or BaG extract (GG-BaG).

METHODS

Mechanical properties of cell-free GG-SPD, GG-BaG, and COL hydrogels were tested in osteogenic medium (OM) or BaG OM at 0, 14, and 21 d. Hydrogel embedded hASCs were cultured in OM or BaG OM for 3, 14, and 21 d, and analyzed for viability, cell number, osteogenic gene expression, osteocalcin production, and mineralization. Hydroxyapatite-stained GG-SPD samples were imaged with Optical Projection Tomography (OPT) and Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) in OM and BaG OM at 21 d. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy was used to study the calcium phosphate (CaP) content of hASC-secreted ECM in GG-SPD, GG-BaG, and COL at 21 d in BaG OM.

RESULTS

The results showed viable rounded cells in GG whereas hASCs were elongated in COL. Importantly, BaG OM induced significantly higher cell number and higher osteogenic gene expression in COL. In both hydrogels, BaG OM induced strong mineralization confirmed as CaP by Raman spectroscopy and significantly improved mechanical properties. GG-BaG hydrogels rescued hASC mineralization in OM. OPT and SPIM showed homogeneous 3D cell distribution with strong mineralization in BaG OM. Also, strong osteocalcin production was visible in COL.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, we showed efficacious osteogenesis of hASCs in 3D hydrogels with BaG OM with potential for bone-like grafts.