Electrospun bioactive poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibrous scaffolds incorporated with natural decellularized bone extracellular matrix for bone regeneration
1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, 210003 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
2 Department of Orthopaedics, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, 210009 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
3 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Affiliated Huai’an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, The Second People’s Hospital of Huai’an, 223002 Huai’an, Jiangsu, China
4 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Structural Materials and Application Technology, Nanjing Institute of Technology, 211167 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
5 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 211100 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
§These authors contributed equally.
Abstract
Background: Cell-free bone tissue scaffolds show significant potential for bone repair applications. This study aimed to enhance the bone regeneration performance of synthetic poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-based nanofibrous scaffolds by incorporating natural decellularized bone extracellular matrix (dB-ECM) into the scaffold. Methods: The PCL/dB-ECM nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning. A series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to verify the biocompatibility of the PCL/dB-ECM nanofibrous scaffolds, as well as their ability to promote osteogenic differentiation of rabbit bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) and to repair bone defects. Results: The incorporation of dB-ECM significantly enhanced the bioactivity of the PCL-based scaffold, yielding superior rBMSCs attachment and proliferation, cytoskeleton extension, and osteogenic differentiation. Furthermore, in vivo assays revealed that the PCL/dB-ECM (2:1) scaffold facilitated new bone formation, with improved trabecular structures and better integration with the surrounding tissues. Conclusions: The PCL/dB-ECM (2:1) nanofibrous scaffold presents a promising strategy for bone defect repair, offering enhanced bioactivity and effective integration with host tissues.
Graphical Abstract

Keywords
- Bone regeneration
- nanofibrous scaffold
- decellularized extracellular matrix
- poly(ε-caprolactone)
- electrospinning
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