Work

3D-printed ion-engineered TaTiCu porous scaffolds for promoting bone defect repair

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Large bone defect repair remains challenging because successful regeneration requires not only structural reconstruction but also simultaneous control of infection, vascularization, and osteogenic activation. Conventional metallic scaffolds provide mechanical support, yet their limited biological activity restricts their ability to actively regulate the defect microenvironment. Herein, a 3D-printed ion-engineered TaTiCu porous scaffold was developed to integrate architectural support with antibacterial and pro-regenerative functions. The scaffold possessed an interconnected porous architecture, suitable mechanical performance, and sustained Cu 2+ release. TaTiCu exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , and MRSA, while maintaining favorable cytocompatibility with HUVECs and BMSCs under the tested conditions. Functionally, TaTiCu enhanced endothelial migration and tube formation and promoted BMSC osteogenic differentiation, matrix maturation, and mineralization. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that TaTiCu reprogrammed BMSCs toward a regenerative phenotype involving metabolic adaptation, extracellular matrix remodeling, cell-matrix interaction, and angiogenic-osteogenic coupling. In an S. aureus -infected rabbit femoral condyle defect model, 3D-printed TaTiCu porous scaffolds suppressed early bacterial colonization and promoted bone ingrowth, trabecular reconstruction, mineral deposition, and bone-scaffold integration during the 12-week observation period. Overall, this study presents 3D-printed TaTiCu porous metal as an active microenvironment-regulating scaffold strategy for large bone defect repair.

Source: Chemical Engineering Journal

DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.181876