Controlled release of soy-based chemical compounds from a 3D-printed bone-like scaffold can result in a reduction in bone cancer cells while building up healthy cells and reducing harmful inflammation, a new study shows. The research team—from Washington State University—published their results in Acta Biomaterialia.
"There is not much research in this area of natural medicinal compounds in biomedical devices," lead researcher Susmita Bose said. "Using these natural medicines, one can make a difference in human health with very minimal or no side effects, although a critical issue remains composition control."
Osteosarcoma treatment usually involves surgery to remove the tumor as well as pre- and post-operative chemotherapy. Since large areas of bone need to be removed and repaired, patients often experience a significant amount of inflammation during bone reconstruction, which slows healing. Bose's team has been studying bone tissue engineering as an alternative strategy to repair the bones, using material science principles and advanced manufacturing techniques to develop effective biomedical devices.
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For this study, the team used 3D printing to make patient-specific, bone-like scaffolds that included three soy compounds and then slowly released the compounds into samples containing bone cancer as well as healthy bone cells. Isoflavones, for example, have been shown to impede cancer cell growth for many types of cancer without being toxic to normal cells.
According to the research team, one of the soybean compounds caused a 90% reduction in bone cancer cell viability in their samples after 11 days. Two other soy compounds, meanwhile, significantly improved the growth of healthy bone cells. Furthermore, using the soy compounds in animal models also reduced inflammation, which could benefit bone health as well as overall recovery. "These results advance our understanding in providing therapeutic approaches in using synthetic bone grafts as a drug delivery vehicle," Bose concluded.