An exopolysaccharide nanofiber composite for biomedical applications

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a highly-versatile nanostructured biomaterial with diverse applications including paper products, and in electronic, acoustic, and biomedical devices. This work describes the properties of a novel composite material consisting of calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (CdHAP) that is biomimetically deposited in a BC hydrogel by sequential incubation in calcium chloride followed by sodium phosphate. The ability of native BC and BC-CdHAP composite to act as a scaffold for growth of osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone formation in the body, was tested. Results show the cells grow well on both materials, but adhere more strongly to BC-CdHAP compared to the native material. This composite material holds great promise as a biomaterial for bone substitution and regeneration.