From Print to Load-Bearing in 7 Days: EPFL’s New Bone Scaffold Breakthrough

New research has been published in Advanced Functional Materials regarding the development of 3D printed bone scaffolds to encourage bone growth. A team from the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne (EPFL) created a bone-like composite that uses naturally occurring enzymes to accelerate mineralization through an energy-efficient, room-temperature process. The researchers hope that this strong, lightweight material will work for bone repair applications.

The scientists used a mineral called hydroxyapatite (HA), which is one of the primary components of bones. Normally, producing HA-based materials requires significant energy and restricts the use of biologically active components, like enzymes that support bone growth. Researchers in the Soft Materials Laboratory (SMaL) in EPFL’s School of Engineering came up with a way to 3D print HA-based scaffolds using a room-temperature process. This method also permits them to utilize enzymes for fast mineralization. Within just seven days, these porous scaffolds can be load-bearing.

Creating the Bone “Ink”

To create the ink, the EPFL scientists embed alkaline phosphatase (an enzyme) into gelatin microparticles. Then, they incubate them in a calcium and phosphate ion solution. The enzyme triggers HA crystals to form, which stiffen and strengthen the printed scaffolds. After four days of mineralization, the composite can hold the average weight of an adult human on an area as small as 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm.