Researchers have created an innovative bone graft alternative that is inspired by coral. This new material not only accelerates the healing process but also naturally breaks down in the body once the repair has been completed.
Researchers at Swansea University have created an innovative bone graft alternative inspired by coral. This advanced solution not only accelerates healing but also decomposes naturally in the body after the repair has taken place.
This cutting-edge research, spearheaded by Dr. Zhidao Xia at Swansea University Medical School alongside teammates from the Faculty of Science and Engineering and various external collaborators*, has received a patent and been featured in the prestigious journal Bioactive Materials.
Bone defects arising from fractures, tumors, and chronic injuries are among the leading contributors to disability globally. Typically, physicians rely on either the patient’s own bone (autograft) or bone from a donor (allograft) to fill these voids. Unfortunately, these approaches present issues such as limited availability, potential for infection, and ethical dilemmas.
Utilizing state-of-the-art 3D-printing technology, the team has crafted a biomimetic substance that reflects the porous nature and chemical properties of coral-based bone grafts, ensuring a seamless integration with human bone and offering several significant advantages:
- Quick Healing — It encourages new bone formation in just 2-4 weeks.
- Full Integration — The material naturally dissolves within 6-12 months after enhanced regeneration, ultimately leaving only healthy bone.
- Cost-Effective — Unlike natural coral or grafts from donors, this material can be easily manufactured in large volumes.
In preclinical in vivo examinations, the material displayed impressive outcomes: it completely repaired bone defects in 3-6 months and even stimulated the creation of a new layer of robust, healthy cortical bone within 4 weeks.
Most synthetic bone graft substitutes available today fall short of the capabilities of natural bone. They either take an excessive amount of time to dissolve, fail to integrate properly, or trigger negative side effects like inflammation. This new material resolves these issues by closely imitating natural bone in terms of structure and biological behavior.
Dr. Xia remarked: “Our creation bridges the divide between synthetic substitutes and donor bone. We’ve demonstrated that it is achievable to develop a material that is safe, effective, and capable of scaling to satisfy global needs. This could potentially eliminate the dependency on donor bone and address the ethical and supply dilemmas in bone grafting.”
Such advancements not only hold the potential to enhance the quality of life for patients but also to lower healthcare expenses and create fresh opportunities within the biomedical sector.
The team at Swansea University is now seeking partnerships with businesses and healthcare organizations to make this groundbreaking technology accessible to patients worldwide.
*The research involved collaboration from Swansea University, UK; Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Xiangyang Central Hospital, China; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Oxford Instruments NanoAnalysis, UK; McGill University, Canada; The Open University, UK; University of Rochester, USA; University of Oxford, UK; and University of Sheffield, UK.
