Electrochemical technique to develop surface-controlled polyaniline nano-tulips (PANINTs) on PCL-reinforced chitosan functionalized (CS-f-Fe2O3) scaffolds for stimulating osteoporotic bone regeneration.

ABSTRACT

Bone defects pose significant challenges in orthopedic surgery, often leading to suboptimal outcomes and complications. Addressing these challenges, we employed a three-electrode electrochemical system to fabricate surface-controlled polyaniline nano-tulips (PANINTs) decorated polycaprolactone (PCL) reinforced chitosan functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (CS-f-Fe2O3) scaffolds. These structures were designed to emulate the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) and promote enhanced osseointegration by establishing a continuous interface between host bone and graft, thereby improving both biological processes and mechanical stability. In vitro experiments demonstrated that PANINTs-PCL/CS-f-Fe2O3 substrates significantly promoted the proliferation, differentiation, and spontaneous outgrowth and extension of MC3T3-E1 cell activity. The nanomaterials exhibited increased cell viability and osteogenic differentiation, as evidenced by elevated expression of bone-related markers such as ALP, ARS, COL-I, RUNX2, and SPP-I, as determined by qRT-PCR. Our findings underscore the regenerative potential of in situ cell culture systems for bone defects, emphasizing the targeted stimulation of essential cell subpopulations to facilitate rapid bone tissue regeneration.