Enhanced Bone Regeneration Using a ZIF‐8‐Loaded Fibrin Composite Scaffold

Abstract

Abstract In the present study, fibrin‐based biomaterials made of zeolite imidazole framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) and fibrin gel (Z‐FG) are fabricated with the aim of enhancing skull regeneration. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet (UV)–vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and rheometry are used to characterize ZIF‐8 and Z‐FG. The influences of ZIF‐8 on the physical properties of fibrin gel (e.g., porosity, modulus, and in vitro biodegradation) are investigated, and the effect of ZIF‐8 concentration on fibrin gel properties in vitro is determined by seeding ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) over Z‐FG. EMSC osteogenic differentiation reveals higher expression of bone‐related proteins and higher calcium deposition and alkaline phosphatase activity, indicating that Z‐FG may be a good osteoinductive biomaterial. Furthermore, these results show that the piezochannel and yes‐associated protein (YAP) signaling pathway are involved in the differentiation process. In addition, the in vivo results demonstrate that Z‐FG increases bone formation in critical‐sized calvarial defects in rats. Thus, the developed composite scaffold may be a suitable biomaterial for skull tissue‐engineering applications.