Adhesive, Injectable, and Conductive Poly (γ‐Glutamic Acid) Hydrogels Reinforced by Iron‐Doped Mesoporous Bioglass Nanospheres for Bone Tissue Engineering

ABSTRACT As the proposing biomaterials, poly (γ‐glutamic acid) (γ‐PGA) hydrogels have been widely studied and applied in the biomedical field due to their good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and designability. However, the biomedical applications of γ‐PGA hydrogels are limited by their poor mechanical strength, lack of integrity with surrounding tissues, and an acidic environment which is induced by γ‐PGA degradation. To address these referred limitations, Fe‐doped mesoporous bioglass nanospheres (Fe‐MBG NPs) were firstly synthesized, and then Fe‐MBG NPs‐composited γ‐PGA (Fe‐MBG/γ‐PGA) hydrogels were developed. The physical/chemical properties, mechanical performances, adhesion, in vitro degradation, conductivity, and biocompatibility of Fe‐MBG/γ‐PGA hydrogels were systematically characterized. Results indicated Fe‐MBG NPs were successfully synthesized with an average diameter of 426 ± 8 nm. The developed 30%Fe‐MBG/γ‐PGA hydrogels not only exhibited excellent injectability, adhesion, stretchability, elasticity, and fatigue resistance but also presented good bioactivity, conductivity, and cytocompatibility. Therefore, the 30%Fe‐MBG/γ‐PGA hydrogels exhibited great application potential in bone tissue engineering.