Alginate-HEMA Hydrogels as Promising Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

In the present work, the osteogenic and angiogenic properties of, previously developed, semi-interpenetrated HEMA-EGDMA polymeric networks (sIPN) with and without alginate with application in bone tissue engineering (BTE) were studied. In vitro characterization studies were performed using rat bone marrow progenitor cells (BMPCs), EA.hy926 endothelial cells, and rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Based on the in vitro results of both this work and previous ones, the hydrogels were selected to carry out in vivo studies to find out their capacity as a biomaterial using a bone regeneration model. Our results indicate that the incorporation of alginate into the HEMA-EGDMA polymeric network promotes osteogenic and angiogenic capacity in cell cultures of BMPCs and both EA.hy926 and VSMCs, respectively, and also increases bone formation and vascular structures in in vivo studies, demonstrating its potential use as a biomaterial in BTE.