V-doped CeO2-loaded biopolymer scaffold for reactive oxygen species scavenging and osteogenic enhancement

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during bone scaffold implantation disrupt cellular redox homeostasis and adversely affect stem cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, thereby impeding bone regeneration. In this study, vanadium (V) was doped into the cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) lattice via a wet chemical synthesis, and the resulting V-doped CeO 2 (V-CeO 2 ) nanoparticles were incorporated into a poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) matrix to fabricate composite scaffolds using selective laser sintering. The incorporation of V induced lattice distortion and increased the concentration of oxygen vacancies, which enhanced ROS adsorption and catalytic conversion. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that V doping increased the Ce(Ⅲ) content from 31.2 % to 39.9 %, thereby facilitating the Ce(Ⅲ)/Ce(IV) redox cycle. Specifically, Ce(Ⅲ)exhibited superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity to eliminate O 2 •- , while Ce(IV) showed catalase (CAT)-mimetic activity for H 2 O 2 decomposition. In vitro evaluations demonstrated that the PLLA/V-CeO 2 scaffold significantly reduced intracellular ROS levels and upregulated osteogenic gene expression, including BMP-2 and RUNX2. Moreover, the scaffolds exhibited favorable biocompatibility, supporting osteoblast adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. These results suggest that V-CeO 2 -integrated scaffolds hold promise for ROS-regulated bone tissue repair. • V replaced the Ce(Ⅳ) in the CeO 2 lattice, resulting in lattice distortion, creating oxygen vacancies for the capture of ROS. • Doping increased the Ce(Ⅲ) content, enhancing the redox cycle between Ce(Ⅲ) and Ce(Ⅳ) for superior ROS scavenging. • PLLA/V-CeO 2 scaffold enhanced intracellular ROS scavenging, and facilitating osteogenesis.