Mechanical, Structural, and Biological Characteristics of Polylactide/Wollastonite 3D Printed Scaffolds

Enhanced biomechanical compatibility of 3D-printed polylactic acid lattice structures: Synergizing mechanical, topography, and microstructural properties for trabecular bone mimicry

The design and mechanical performance of 3D-printed lattice scaffolds are critical for biomedical applications, particularly when replicating the trabecular architecture of bone. This study evaluated the mechanical and biological performance of collagen-infused PLA 3D-printed lattice scaffolds designed for trabecular bone regeneration. Four geometries-body-centered cubic (BCC), diamond, gyroid, and rhombic-were fabricated with cellular wall thicknesses of 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mm. BCC lattices achieved a maximum compressive strength of 14.66 MPa, while Diamond-2 samples recorded a yield strength of 2.61 MPa. Gyroid scaffolds, though not the strongest, exhibited optimal porosity (up to 9.98 %) and the highest surface roughness (Sa = 12.51 μm), features that enhance cell attachment. In vitro assays with L929 fibroblast cells revealed that transparent PLA analogues of the gyroid design achieved relative growth rates of 109.4 % and 125.7 % at 50 % and 100 % extraction concentrations, respectively, compared to 37.3 % and 31.1 % for green PLA analogues at 60 % and 100 % extraction concentrations. These results underscore that while BCC structures excel in mechanical support, gyroid lattices provide a superior balance between mechanical integrity and biological performance, rendering them promising candidates for bone tissue engineering. These findings offer important insights for optimizing collagen-enhanced, 3D-printed scaffolds tailored to meet the dual mechanical and biological demands of trabecular bone regeneration.

Toward Customizable Smart Gels: A Comprehensive Review of Innovative Printing Techniques and Applications

New production technologies have transformed modern engineering fields, including electronics, mechanics, robotics, and biomedicine. These advancements have led to the creation of smart materials such as alloys, polymers, and gels that respond to various stimuli. This review focuses on smart materials (SMs), including their variety and fabrication techniques, that can be used to construct three- or four-dimensional structures. The mechanisms and designs of smart materials, limitations of current printing technologies, and perspectives for their future uses are also discussed in this review. The printed smart materials are expected to have a major impact on the design of real-world applications.

In vitro evaluation of doxorubicin release from diopside particles on MG-63 and HF spheroids as a 3D model of tumor and healthy tissues

Local drug delivery systems based on bioceramics ensure safe and effective treatment of bone defects and anticancer therapy. A promising drug delivery scaffold material for bone treatment applications is diopside (CaMgSi2O6) which is bioactive, degradable, and possesses drug-release ability. Currently, in vitro assessment of drug release from biomaterials is performed mostly on a 2D cell monolayer. However, to interpret and integrate biochemical signals, cells need a 3D microenvironment that provides cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. In this regard, 3D cell models are gaining popularity. In this work, we proposed the protocol for evaluation of the effect of doxorubicin released from diopside on MG-63 cells and primary human fibroblasts in 3D culture conditions. Tissue spheroids with similar diameters were incubated with doxorubicin-loaded diopside for 72 h, the amount of diopside was calculated in accordance with the required doxorubicin concentration. We demonstrated that doxorubicin is gradually released from diopside and exhibits an activity similar to that of the pure drug at the same total concentration. It is important to note that doxorubicin was more potent on MG-63 spheroids compared to HF spheroids, which confirmed the reliability of spheroids as 3D models of tumor and healthy tissues.