(5y) Whey Protein Isolate Sol-Gel as a Novel Scaffold for Bone Tissue Regeneration

Whey protein isolate (WPI) sol-gel is a promising base material for use as a bone tissue regeneration scaffold. The characterization of the material is presented here and serves to highlight the potential of such a scaffold. The successful scaffold measures within a window of suitable mechanical properties, has a high porosity and interconnectivity, and its surface promotes the growth and differentiation of osteoprogenitors into bone-forming osteoblasts. This set of characteristics can be achieved by using WPI as a dispersing phase in a two-phase composite. The dispersed phase enhances mechanical properties while increasing the growth rate of proliferating cells. Material composition and processing serve to tune the pore network structure of the scaffold, as determined by scanning electron microscopy and microcomputed tomography. In vitro testing has shown the ability of WPI to support the adhesion and proliferation of mouse preosteoblasts, and their differentiation on the scaffold surface. The merits of the material and the optimization process involved in its design are presented.