Application of bioelectric effect materials in design of bone tissue engineering scaffolds

Xi Hongzhong; Liu Xin; Sun Guangquan; Du Bin; Yuan Xinwei; Huang Yixuan; Guo Mingbin; Mai Jianbin

doi:10.12307/2024.521

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Bone has bioelectric effects.However,bone defects can lead to loss of endogenous bioelectricity in bone.The implantation of bone tissue engineering scaffolds with bioelectric effect into bone defects will replenish the missing electrical signals and accelerate the repair of bone defects. OBJECTIVE:To introduce the bioelectric effect of bone tissue and expound the repair effect of electrical stimulation on bone defects,summarize the research progress of bioelectric effect applied to bone tissue engineering,in order to provide new ideas for the research of bone tissue engineering. METHODS:Relevant articles were searched on CNKI,WanFang,PubMed,Web of Science and ScienceDirect databases,using"bioelectrical effect,bioelectrical materials,electrical stimulation,bone tissue engineering,bone scaffold,bone defect,bone repair,osteogenesis"as the English and Chinese search terms.Finally,87 articles were included for analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Bioelectrical effect combined with ex vivo electrical stimulation to design bone tissue engineering scaffolds is an ideal and feasible approach,and the main materials involved include metallic materials,graphene materials,natural bio-derived materials,and synthetic biomaterial.At present,the most widely used conductive material is graphene material,which benefits from its super conductivity,large specific surface area,good biocompatibility with cells and bones,and excellent mechanical properties.(2)Graphene materials are mainly introduced into the scaffold as modified materials to enhance the conductivity of the overall scaffold,while its large surface area and rich functional groups can promote the loading and release of bioactive substances.(3)However,there are still some major challenges to overcome for bioelectrically effective bone tissue engineering scaffolds:not only electrical conductivity but also the overall performance of the bracket needs to be considered;lack of uniform,standardized preparation of bioelectrically effective bone tissue engineering scaffolds;extracorporeal electrical stimulation intervention systems are not yet mature enough;lack of individualized guidance on stent selection to enable the selection and design of the most appropriate stent for patients with different pathologies.(4)When designing conductive scaffolds,researchers have to deeply consider the comprehensive effects of the scaffolds,such as biocompatibility,mechanical properties,and biodegradability.This combination of properties can be achieved by combining multiple materials.(5)Beyond that,clinical translation should be the ultimate consideration for conductive stent design.On the basis of evaluating the safe current threshold for electrical stimulation to act on the human body and facilitate the repair of bone defects,animal experiments as well as basic experiments are designed and then applied to the clinic to achieve the ultimate goal of applying bioelectrical effect bone tissue engineering scaffolds in the clinic.