Biomimetic, biodegradable and osteoinductive treated dentin matrix/α-calcium sulphate hemihydrate composite material for bone tissue engineering

Abstract It is still a huge challenge for bone regenerative biomaterial to balance its mechanical, biological and biodegradable properties. In the present study, a new composite material including treated dentin matrix (TDM) and α-calcium sulphate hemihydrate (α-CSH) was prepared. The optimal composition ratio between TDM and α-CSH was explored. The results indicate that both components were physically mixed and structurally stable. Its compressive strength reaches up to 5.027 ± 0.035 MPa for 50%TDM/α-CSH group, similar to human cancellous bone tissues. Biological experiments results show that TDM/α-CSH composite exhibits excellent biocompatibility and the expression of osteogenic related genes and proteins (ALP, RUNX2, OPN) is significantly increased. In vivo experiments suggest that the addition of TDM for each group (10%, 30%, 50%) effectively promotes cell proliferation and osteomalacia. In addition, 50% of the TDM/α-CSH combination displays optimal osteoconductivity. The novel TDM/α-CSH composite is a good candidate for certain applications in bone tissue engineering.