ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Morphogenesis and Patterning
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1650537
This article is part of the Research TopicRegulatory Pathways in Immune Microenvironments for Tissue Development and RepairView all articles
Precise Copper Ion Release and Recovery in Polycaprolactone Nanofiber Scaffold: An Antibacterial and Osteogenic Synergistic Strategy for Guided Bone Regeneration
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kelantan, Malaysia
- 2Department of Stomatology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, China
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This study develops a nanofiber material utilizing polycaprolactone (PCL) and integrates polydopamine (PDA) with copper ions to enhance antibacterial properties and promote bone regeneration. PDA binds strongly with copper ions and is released when in an acidic environment, using the three-dimensional structure of electrospinning nanofibers. Additionally, it benefits from the ability of PDAs to modify surface properties and regulate the release of copper ions. The study designed a system to release and absorb copper ions, maintaining an optimal balance for safety and efficacy. Several tests confirmed that the material has a stable structure, good physical properties, and strong mechanical performance. The results revealed that when the concentration of copper ions was 0.1 M, the materials exhibited the best antibacterial effect and promoted bone cell proliferation. Further tests confirmed that the material helped bone cells (MC3T3-E1) develop and increase bone-related genes (Runx2, Osx, ALP, and OCN) expression. In conclusion, this PCL-PDA-Cu material improves antibacterial and bone regeneration functions. It is beneficial for bone tissue engineering and offers extensive potential for clinical applications. The specialized design of controlled copper ion release and recycling, facilitates dynamically balancing antibacterial and osteogenesis properties, rendering the material suitable for biomedical applications.
Keywords: Electrospinning, polycaprolactone, polydopamine, Copper ions, antibacterial properties, Osteogenesis
Received: 20 Jun 2025; Accepted: 21 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Hassan, AL-Rawas, Cui and Ariffin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zaihan Ariffin, School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kelantan, Malaysia
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