Development of a Novel Segmental Bone Defect Construct
Abstract
Bone tissue naturally regenerates itself upon injuries like a broken bone. However, when the size of the injury exceeds a threshold value, this capability is lost and the injury is referred to as a critical size defect. When this occurs in a Warfighter, it requires the use of implant technology to either help maintain functionality or induce healing to return the individual to their natural state. However, there are a number of drawbacks to the existing technologies used for injury repair. These include slow healing times, scar tissue formation, and the possibility that the implant will be rejected by the body. Therefore, there is interest in the development of new materials to foster the recovery of injured Warfighters. The proposed work is focused on the development of such a material and it is targeted towards the segmental bone defect topic area in the Fiscal Year 2014 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program. In addition to cells, bone tissue is primarily composed of a calcium phosphate mineral referred to as hydroxyapatite, collagen, and other proteins that hold the first two components together. Many researchers have attempted to develop implant materials composed of hydroxyapatite, collagen, and/or polymers with many formulations, but no one has been able to fully recreate the properties of natural bone. It is believed that one major missing component in the existing research is the lack of the other naturally occurring proteins, which are referred to as the SIBLING (small integrin binding, N-linked glycoproteins) family of proteins. It is believed that these proteins play a key role in natural bone because they are only found in hard tissues like bone and teeth, and all of the family members contain hydroxyapatite, collagen, and cell binding domains. In the proposed work, for the first time the SIBLING family of proteins will be combined with a new polymer material and their role in facilitating cell recruitment, proliferation, and bone production will be examined. The new polymer substrate is an important variable because it prevents the adsorption of proteins except under special conditions, which will be used to attach the SIBLING proteins. This will allow for the impact of the SIBLING proteins to be isolated from the complex environment associated with biological systems. The long-term application for this research is to develop an off-the-shelf implant technology that can be used by surgeons to improve the healing of patients and Warfighters who have critical size defects in their bone tissue due to injury or disease. The results that will be obtained during the completion of the proposed studies will be used to guide the development of a new implant technology that will be proposed for future testing in the body. Ultimately, this technology will help improve the recovery time and functionality of people with significant injuries to their bone tissues.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 2016
- Source ID
- W81XWH1510664
Entities
People
- Matthew T. Bernards
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Missouri