From platelet-rich plasma to personalized implants: A commentary on "3D-printed vascularized biofunctional scaffolds for bone regeneration"

Abstract

Bone defects require simultaneous vascularization and sustained osteoinductive signaling to achieve functional repair—two goals that conventional grafts frequently fail to meet. The study under discussion explores the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a natural, multi-factor source, embedded in a methacrylated gelatin/methacrylated alginate (GA) hydrogel and modified with laponite (Lap) to regulate growth factor release. The resulting PRP–GA@Lap bioink is co-printed with polycaprolactone to create structurally reinforced scaffolds. In vitro, PRP–GA@ Lap stimulated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell proliferation, migration, and osteogenic differentiation, enhanced endothelial tube formation, and polarized macrophages toward a pro-regenerative M2 phenotype. In vivo, hybrid scaffolds accelerated vascular ingrowth and improved bone volume, mineral density, and defect integration in rat femoral condyles. By coupling biologically broad PRP signaling with engineered release kinetics and mechanical stability, this approach offers a clinically adaptable, patient-specific strategy for complex bone repair, with strong potential for personalized regenerative therapy.  

Keywords

Bone regeneration / Immunomodulation / Laponite / Platelet-rich plasma / Three-dimensional printing / Vascularization

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (RS-2024-00405381, and RS-2025- 00513935), the Korea Institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion (KIMST) funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (RS-2024-00405273), and the Korean Fund for Regenerative Medicine (KFRM) grant funded by the Korean government (the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Health & Welfare, KFRM 24A0105L1).

Conflict of Interest

Hyun-Do Jung is an Editorial Board Member of this journal, but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. Separately, the author declares no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

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