3D Printing and Nanofabrication of Multifunctional Scaffold Materials for Biomedical Applications

用于生物医学应用的多功能支架材料的 3D 打印和纳米制造

• 批准号: 2105863
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Southampton
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2018 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2105863
• 关键词: 3D; Printing; Nanofabrication; Multifunctional; Scaffold

Millions of musculoskeletal tissue graft procedures are performed worldwide on an annual basis to treat traumatic injuries, degenerative diseases, and tumour resections. Tissue harvested from the patient (autogenic) are the preferred tissue grafting materials, despite drawbacks and potential complications, because engineered materials have been unable to meet the diverse range of multifunctional requirements, which includes biocompatibility, biodegradation, mechanical properties, and porous structure. Nanofabrication techniques enable material systems composed of precise combinations of nano-scale building blocks, including individual molecules and nano-particles. These techniques have been utilised to produce nano-structured material systems with a range of unique properties and functions, including high strength and stiffness, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and delivery/release of therapeutic drugs. Combining nanofabrication with 3D-printing allows control over micro-scale porous structure, in addition to nano-scale control over structure and composition, and helps scale-up nano-scale processes for the production of macro-scale bulk materials. Nanofabrication of polymer-clay nanocomposites onto porous open-cell foams has enabled the production of macro-scale nanocomposite porous materials with controlled stiffness and porosity spanning remarkable ranges from those of soft elastomer foams to very stiff, lightweight honeycomb and lattice materials [1]. Tailoring the material composition at the surface has enhanced the biocompatibility of these materials for application as engineered tissue scaffold materials [2]. Further work is needed to combine controlled mechanical properties, porosity, and biocompatibility with additional functionalization including biodegradability, and therapeutic drug-delivery. Achieving these properties and functionalities will help address the major unmet need for engineered tissue scaffold materials as replacements for existing treatment strategies using autogenous grafts, which are limited in supply and efficacy.Nanocomposite thin-films will be produced using an aqueous-based nanofabrication technique. Material systems targeting load-bearing functionality will be mechanically characterized, while materials targeting biodegradability will be characterized in terms of in vitro degradation. Hybrid material systems combining load-bearing and biodegradable functionalities will be designed and characterized as functions of varying composition and nano-structure. Porous nanocomposites will be produced via nanofabrication onto 3D-printed scaffolds with controlled initial pore structure. The porous structure, mechanical properties, and degradation characteristics of porous nanocomposites will be assessed against requirements for engineered musculoskeletal tissue scaffolds. The integration of material systems for therapeutic drug-delivery and enhanced biocompatibility will also be explored via local and international collaborations with biomedical researchers.

全世界每年进行数百万次肌肉骨骼组织移植手术，以治疗创伤性损伤、退行性疾病和肿瘤切除。尽管存在缺点和潜在的并发症，但从患者采集的组织（自体）是优选的组织移植材料，因为工程材料无法满足多种多功能要求，包括生物相容性、生物降解、机械性能和多孔结构。纳米纤维技术使材料系统能够由纳米级构建块的精确组合组成，包括单个分子和纳米颗粒。这些技术已被用于生产具有一系列独特性能和功能的纳米结构材料系统，包括高强度和刚度、生物相容性、生物降解性和治疗药物的递送/释放。将纳米纤维与3D打印相结合，除了对结构和组成进行纳米级控制之外，还可以控制微米级多孔结构，并有助于扩大用于生产宏观级散装材料的纳米级工艺。聚合物-粘土纳米复合材料在多孔开孔泡沫上的纳米纤维化使得能够生产宏观尺度的纳米复合多孔材料，其具有受控的刚度和孔隙率，跨越从软弹性体泡沫到非常硬的轻质蜂窝和晶格材料的显著范围[1]。定制表面的材料组成增强了这些材料作为工程化组织支架材料的生物相容性[2]。需要进一步的工作来将联合收割机控制的机械性能、多孔性和生物相容性与包括生物降解性和治疗药物递送的附加功能化结合。实现这些特性和功能将有助于解决工程组织支架材料作为现有治疗策略的替代品的主要未满足的需求，使用自体移植物，其供应和功效有限。纳米复合材料薄膜将使用水基纳米纤维技术生产。针对承载功能的材料系统将进行机械表征，而针对生物降解性的材料将进行体外降解表征。混合材料系统结合承载和生物降解功能将被设计和表征为不同的组成和纳米结构的功能。多孔纳米复合材料将通过纳米纤维在具有受控初始孔结构的3D打印支架上生产。多孔纳米复合材料的多孔结构，力学性能和降解特性将根据工程化肌肉骨骼组织支架的要求进行评估。还将通过与生物医学研究人员的本地和国际合作，探索用于治疗药物输送和增强生物相容性的材料系统的整合。