Professor Huang Cui from the School of Stomatology and Professor Chen Chaoji from the School of Resources and Environmental Sciences at Wuhan University (WHU) have made significant strides in biomimetic bone repair. Their research has been published online in Advanced Materials.

Schematic of a biomineralization-inspired multidimensional biomimetic cascade bone repair strategy.

Addressing the challenges of large-scale bone defect repair, the team proposed a multidimensional biomimetic cascade repair strategy inspired by the dynamic biomineralization process in bone regeneration. They developed Osteomimix, a novel bone repair material that replicates bone composition, structure, functionality, and biological processes by integrating dynamic biomimetic mineralization hydrogels with oriented structural scaffolds.

Construction and characterization of Osteomimix.

Osteomimix is based on SCMA-AMCP dynamic mineralization gel and incorporates natural and artificial oriented scaffolds, overcoming the limitations of traditional bone repair materials. It closely mimics the intricate biological and functional characteristics of bone tissue. Studies have demonstrated that this material not only boasts excellent mechanical properties and spontaneous mineralization capabilities but can also be customized using CAD/CAM technology. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments confirm that this strategy effectively promotes bone regeneration by integrating "cell-free" and "cell-dependent" biomimetic mineralization pathways, offering a promising new approach to bone tissue engineering.

Biological effects of Osteomimix in long-term in vivo bone defect repair.

This research sets a new benchmark for designing high-performance biomimetic bone repair materials and marks a significant advancement in regenerative medicine.

Link to paper: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202416715