Temporally controlled multiple-gene delivery in scaffolds: A promising strategy to enhance bone regeneration

Abstract

Bone defects sometimes require more effective repair regimens than conventional clinical therapies can provide. On account of this, tissue-engineered scaffolds have emerged as a promising alternative. Scaffolds that release genes encoding growth factors (GFs) offer additional benefits for bone regeneration in comparison with scaffolds providing protein delivery. The present gene delivery systems focus on unitary or dual genes delivery without controlled release. In the meantime, evidences indicate that bone formation is a complex cascade of events, in which time-dependent expression of multiple growth factors is involved. In our hypothesis, a temporally controlled, multi-gene delivery system embedded in a scaffold matrix can be fabricated; such a system is capable of mimicking the expression of growth factor profile in osteogenesis. Consequently, bone regeneration can be promoted by sequential gene expression of multiple growth factors. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.