Nanoscale β-TCP-Laden GelMA/PCL Composite Membrane for Guided Bone Regeneration

Major advances in the field of periodontal tissue engineeringhavefavored the fabrication of biodegradable membranes with tunable physicaland biological properties for guided bone regeneration (GBR). Herein,we engineered innovative nanoscale beta-tricalcium phosphate (& beta;-TCP)-ladengelatin methacryloyl/polycaprolactone (GelMA/PCL-TCP) photocrosslinkablecomposite fibrous membranes via electrospinning. Chemo-morphologicalfindings showed that the composite microfibers had a uniform porousnetwork and & beta;-TCP particles successfully integrated within thefibers. Compared with pure PCL and GelMA/PCL, GelMA/PCL-TCP membranesled to increased cell attachment, proliferation, mineralization, andosteogenic gene expression in alveolar bone-derived mesenchymal stemcells (aBMSCs). Moreover, our GelMA/PCL-TCP membrane was able to promoterobust bone regeneration in rat calvarial critical-size defects, showingremarkable osteogenesis compared to PCL and GelMA/PCL groups. Altogether,the GelMA/PCL-TCP composite fibrous membrane promoted osteogenic differentiationof aBMSCs in vitro and pronounced bone formation in vivo. Our dataconfirmed that the electrospun GelMA/PCL-TCP composite has a strongpotential as a promising membrane for guided bone regeneration.