International journal of biological macromoleculesMay 10, 2025

3D Printed GelMA Hydrogel with Mineral and VEGF-Linked Fibers to Support Bone Growth by Boosting Bone Formation and Blood Vessel Growth

Regenerative Health Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

The GelMA/m-PLLA@VEGF hydrogel scaffold significantly promoted bone regeneration in a rat model of critical-sized calvarial bone defects.

The composite hydrogel scaffold improved the mechanical properties and rheological characteristics of the bioink used.
The micro-nanofibers enhanced osteogenesis by increasing the expression of osteoblast-related markers and promoting mineralized matrix deposition.
Enhanced endothelial cell proliferation and gene expression related to blood vessel formation were observed with this hydrogel.
Sustained release of biominerals, specifically calcium and phosphate ions, contributed to the scaffold's effectiveness in promoting bone formation.
The synergistic modulation of angiogenesis and osteogenesis facilitated effective bone regeneration in the critical-sized defect model.

Simplified

Three-dimensionally (3D) printed hydrogels face significant challenges in promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis for bone tissue engineering. In this study, we designed a bioactive 3D-printed hydrogel to enhance bone regeneration through osteogenesis and angiogenesis modulation. An enzymatic mineralization strategy was proposed to develop biomineral/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-functionalized poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) micro-nanofibers (m-PLLA@VEGF). These micro-nanofibers were incorporated into gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) bioink to develop GelMA/m-PLLA@VEGF hydrogel scaffold. The m-PLLA@VEGF micro-nanofibers provided multiple benefits. Specifically, they improved the rheological properties of the GelMA bioink and mechanical properties of the hydrogel, and promoted osteogenesis and angiogenesis of the hydrogel scaffold. The resulting GelMA/m-PLLA@VEGF hydrogel scaffold effectively promoted osteogenesis by enhancing osteoblast-related expression and mineralized matrix deposition, aided by the sustained release of biominerals (Ca and P ions). It also significantly enhanced endothelial cell proliferation, scratch wound healing, and the expression of angiogenesis-related genes. When implanted in a critical-sized rat calvarial bone defect model, the composite hydrogel scaffold facilitated bone regeneration through the synergistic modulation of angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Overall, this work presented an innovative approach for developing functionalized micro-nanofibers, with the enhanced bioactive hydrogel showing significant potential for bone regeneration.

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Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

PubMed

3D Printed GelMA Hydrogel with Mineral and VEGF-Linked Fibers to Support Bone Growth by Boosting Bone Formation and Blood Vessel Growth

Abstract

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Competing interests

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