Swiss researchers print bone replacement

(CONNECT) The Laboratory for Soft Materials at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) has developed a bone-like material that can be produced using a 3D printing process. According to a report by the university, it is used at room temperature. This is significantly less energy-intensive than previous high-temperature processes and allows the use of enzymes for rapid mineralization.

The resulting bone-like, porous scaffolds can support the average weight of an adult human on an area of just 1.5 x 1.5 centimeters after just four days. For this project, the EPFL team collaborated with colleagues from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology and the University of Fribourg.

However, it appears that not only bone replacement but also bone regeneration is possible. This is because the researchers detected collagen and osteocalcin in the pores created by melting, enzyme-free gelatine microfragments 14 days after colonizing scaffolds with human stem cells in a bone growth-promoting medium. Both are indicators of cell growth, i.e. bone regeneration.

"Our idea was to develop a 3D-printable and injectable 'ink' that can be mineralized into scaffolds with mechanical properties similar to those of the highly porous cancellous bone found in human vertebrae and the ends of long bones such as the femur," explains lab head Esther Amstad. "We hope that the combination of mechanical performance, bioactivity and energy-efficient processing of our technology will open up new avenues for bone tissue engineering." ce/mm