Cellulose-derived aerogel could help bones heal quicker

If you have ever had a broken bone, you know how annoying and painful it can be. And it gets worse for people who have certain conditions that hinder a successful bone growth. But what can we do to help our bones regenerate? Scientists from the University of British Columbia and McMaster University have developed a novel airy, foam-like substance derived from plant cellulose, which can become scaffolding for the growth of new bone.

Bone transplant technology is not new, but materials are not that advanced. Usually brittle ceramics are used as scaffolding, but they don’t always conform to the shape of the hole in the patient’s bone. This leads to gaps and less than a perfect growth in the site of the implant. Now scientists have developed this new substance, which is made by treating nanocrystals derived from plant cellulose. This treatment causes them to link together and form a sponge-like material (aerogel), which is able to comfort to the shape of the hole perfectly. In fact, this substance can expand or compress to fill out pretty much any bone cavity.

Experiments with rats showed that those models that received implants saw 33 % more bone growth at the three-week mark and 50 % more bone growth at the 12-week mark compared to the control group that did not receive any implants. This is the first study to prove that a cellulose nanocrystal aerogel can support new bone growth. But this is just the very beginning. The bone graft market in North America is a 2 billion dollar industry, which could make use of new materials. Of course, the implant is non-toxic and will break down once the bone starts to heal. In other words, it does not replace a natural bone – it just provides a good place for it to start to grow.

Scientists say that they see a lot of potential for this newly developed material. Kathryn Grandfield, co-author of the study, said: “We can see this aerogel being used for a number of applications including dental implants and spinal and joint replacement surgeries. And it will be economical because the raw material, the nanocellulose, is already being produced in commercial quantities”. However, of course, it will still take quite some time for this aerogel to leave the lab and enter the operating room.

In the next stage of the study scientists will study how implant impacts bone growth and how effective it is at supporting a new structure. Researchers will also look into how the material degrades after the new bone starts growing. It is important to make sure that the product is absolutely safe before releasing it into the clinical setting.

Source: University of British Columbia