Cerium-Containing Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles Reinforced 3D-Printed Bioceramic Scaffolds toward Enhanced Mechanical, Antioxidant, and Osteogenic Activities for Bone Regeneration

The repair of critical-sized bone defects remains a substantial clinical challenge. While 3D printing of bioceramics has emerged as a promising strategy to address this issue, conventional bioceramics often exhibit limited antioxidant and osteogenic activities. To address these limitations, a novel approach is introduced to enhance 3D-printed hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds by incorporating cerium-containing mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (Ce-MBGNs) into the digital light processing. The nanocomposite bioceramic scaffolds are systematically optimized by varying the weight concentrations of Ce-MBGNs (1, 3, and 5 wt%). The results demonstrate that the incorporation of Ce-MBGNs significantly enhances the mechanical properties, mineralization, antioxidant capacity, and osteogenic potential of the HA scaffolds when compared to pure HA scaffolds and the HA scaffolds containing Ce-free MBGNs. In vivo bone repair effects of the optimized HA scaffolds containing 5 wt% Ce-MBGNs (5Ce-MBGs) group are further assessed in a rat calvarial critical-sized defect model. The results indicate that the 5Ce-MBGs effectively facilitate the repair of critical-sized bone defects. This study highlights the potential of integrating Ce-MBGNs with bioceramics in 3D printing to significantly improve scaffold performance. Such an approach holds promise for developing personalized and more effective therapeutic strategies for bone defect repair, particularly in challenging clinical scenarios involving inflammation.