Development of a nanocomposite scaffold of gelatin–alginate–graphene oxide for bone tissue engineering

Bone damage, due to congenital defects, trauma and sports-related injuries, has become a foremost health problem all over the world. The present study involves fabrication of a nanocomposite scaffold of graphene oxide (GO), gelatin and alginate, with an aim of enhancing bone regeneration. The effect of varying concentration of GO on the scaffold properties was also determined. The incorporation of GO enhanced the compressive strength of the nanocomposite scaffolds significantly compared to the gelatin-alginate (GA) scaffold which is without GO. High % swelling (~700%) of the nanocomposite scaffold indicates its high hydrophilicity, which is suitable for tissue engineering. Slow biodegradation (~30% in 28 days) indicates its suitability for bone regeneration. In vitro studies, by seeding MG-63 cells over the nanocomposite scaffolds, revealed an enhancement in cell attachment and proliferation as compared to the GA scaffold: this indicates the positive effect of the GO on the scaffold properties which, in turn, can enhance bone regeneration. Cell differentiation studies, with the mesenchymal stem cells seeded scaffolds, revealed higher expression of osteoblast transcription factors (Runx2 and Osteocalcin) and alkaline phosphatase activity―indicating the scaffold to be a good osteoinductive material. Thus, the nanocomposite scaffold will be a potential scaffold for bone tissue engineering.