1. Introduction
Regenerative medicine is an emerging interdisciplinary field focused on developing methods to replace or repair damaged cells and restore tissue or organ function affected by trauma, chronic conditions, disease, aging, or congenital deformities [
1,
2]. Regenerative medicine combines the principles of chemistry, biology, and applied engineering to develop processes and therapies that can promote the regeneration of human cells, functional organs, and injured tissues to restore normal body functions [
3,
4]. By harnessing the human body's innate ability to self-heal, regenerative medicine is poised to revolutionize science, healthcare, and medicine [
1]. Regenerative medicine is also used synonymously with ‘tissue engineering’ which relies on developing scaffolds that mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) of tissues [
5]. Examples of regenerative medicine include stem cell therapy, immunomodulation therapy, and tissue engineering [
6]. Tissue engineering is the application of principles and methods of engineering and life sciences toward the fundamental understanding of structure-function relationships in normal and pathological mammalian tissues and the development of biological substitutes to restore, maintain, or improve tissue function [
7]. The primal goal of tissue engineering is the regeneration of patients’ tissues and organs devoid of poor biocompatibility, functionality, and immune rejection [
8].
Cells, scaffolds, and growth factors are the three main constituents for bone and cartilage formation in tissue engineering [
9]. Cell synthesizes the matrix for the growth of new tissues [
8]. Scaffold material, template, or artificial ECM act as substrates to load cells and growth factors and stimulate cell proliferation, differentiation, biosynthesis, and regeneration [
9]. Growth factors are signaling molecules that direct cell behavior to stimulate the growth of new tissues and provide chemical cues to stem cells, regulating their biological responses and tissue differentiation [
8,
10]. Tissue engineering proceeds in the presence of a scaffold that provides the template for regeneration. Bone tissue engineering and enhancement of bone healing for orthopedic, craniofacial, and periodontal applications can be achieved using a group of multi-functional growth factors called bone morphological proteins (BMPs) [
11]. BMPs belong to the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily and are important in controlling osteoblastogenesis, embryonic development, cellular function, differentiation, proliferation, morphogenesis, and apoptosis of various types of cells [
12]. BMP signaling starts with BMP ligand binding to a transmembrane, heterotetrametric receptor complex composed of type I BMP receptors (BMPR) (ACVR1/ALK2, BMPR1A/ALK3, BMPR1B/ALK6) and type II BMPR (BMPR2, ActR-2A, ActR-2B) [
13].
Stem cells are a class of primitive, non-specialized cells that exhibit the potential to self-renew and differentiate into other cell types such as liver cells, nerve cells, and cardiomyocytes [
3,
14,
15]. Stem cells are broadly classified into embryonic stem cells (ESCs), adult stem cells (ASCs), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) [
16,
17]. ASCs comprise mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), myogenic stem cells, neural stem cells, and umbilical cord stem cells [
18] while ESCs and iPSCs have higher self-regeneration and differentiation potential [
19,
20,
21]. Stem cells are also classified as totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, or unipotent, based on their differentiation ability [
22]. A current thrust in regenerative medicine research is in cord blood stem cells that can offer patients the much-needed means to life-saving stem cell transplant [
23]. Umbilical cord blood like bone marrow and peripheral blood, collected from the umbilical cord and placenta of healthy newborns, contains a rich source of blood-forming stem cells, which can renew and differentiate into other types of cells and find applications in transplants for patients suffering from leukemia, lymphoma, aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, immune deficiency disorders, and for people facing difficulty finding matched adult donors [
24]. Human umbilical cord blood stem cells, an alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells have expanded transplant eligibility for patients with neurodegenerative, cardiovascular disorders, and hematologic conditions, especially from minority groups (racial and ethnic) across the U.S. and worldwide [
25,
26,
27]. Umbilical cord blood has advantages over bone marrow because cord blood does not require human leukocyte antigen tissue matching, has less incidence of graft vs host disease, and may be used allogenically [
28,
29]. MSCs are widely used for wound healing due to their abundance, high proliferation rate, multilineage differentiation capacity, and expression of paracrine factors [
19]. MSCs hold promise in the regeneration of cardiac tissues and improve cardiac function [
30,
31,
32]. Despite limitations in treatment modalities, costs involved, and limited success, stem-cell-based therapeutic strategies have emerged as a promising novel approach to enhancing regenerative wound healing [
33,
34,
35].
Skin is the largest organ in the human body that is prone to damage, such as wear and tear, bruises, scars, ulcers, burns, wounds (infectious or chronic), and aging which can compromise its function and integrity [
19,
36]. Diverse cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and cell signaling cascades are connected to the development of epidermal regeneration, health, and maintenance [
19,
36,
37,
38]. The Wnt (
Wingless and INT-1) signal transduction cascade is involved in embryonic development, stem cell function, tissue homoeostatic self-renewal in adult organisms, skin development through canonical and noncanonical signaling pathways, and linked to the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and polarity of stem and cancer stem cells [
39,
40,
41]. Due to the slow recovery and limited self-healing abilities of human skin, there is limited knowledge about preventing skin degeneration and identifying effective therapies for skin regeneration and rejuvenation [
42].
The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is a network of 43 pairs of motor and sensory nerves that control the functions of sensation, movement, and motor coordination. The PNS comprises three types of cells: neuronal, glial, and stromal. Traumatic and infectious diseases can lead to peripheral nerve damage and long-lasting disability affecting both sensory and motor functions [
43]. Recovery from peripheral nerve damage is an intractable challenge for clinical researchers, as it is a complex process typically managed through surgical nerve autografting; however, this method has disadvantages, as it often fails to achieve complete nerve recovery, nerve axon may not be able to extend due to presence of nerve gap [
43]. Stem cells such as adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), MSCs, in particular bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), and umbilical cord stem cells (endothelial progenitor cells, hematopoietic stem cells) with high proliferative capabilities, are suitable candidates for regenerating neural tissues [
44,
45,
46,
47]. Stem cell-based therapy in peripheral nerve injury can induce nerve regeneration and axonal remyelination by providing the microenvironment for peripheral nerve regeneration and regulating inflammatory cascade after injury [
43,
48]. Zeng and Zhang discussed innovative approaches for
in vivo gene expression reprogramming in neural regeneration and repair [
49]. However, continuous efforts are desirable to develop safe and effective therapies to understand the underlying mechanisms that regulate neuronal regeneration in the spinal cord.
Inorganic-based nanoparticles and biomaterials play a crucial role in regenerative medicine, often surpassing traditional synthetic materials due to their adjustable intrinsic properties, such as size, topography, charge, and chemical stability. The field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine can vastly benefit from advancements in nanoscience and technology. Notably, inorganic-based bionanomaterials because of their tunable magnetic, optical, electronic, biophysical, and biochemical properties along with biocompatibility [
50] can facilitate integration in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering to harness the innate potential of the body [
51], support cellular in-growth tissue integration, control stem cell differentiation,
in vivo stem cell tracking, and influence diverse cellular functions [
5,
52,
53]. Hence, a synergistic amalgamation of these two research areas could be pivotal in pioneering innovations in disease treatment and therapy. In lieu of the relevance and current advancements, this review discusses the emerging roles of inorganic biomaterials and nanoparticles in stem cell regenerative research, tissue engineering, artificial skin and cartilage regeneration, neural nerve injuries, 3D bioprinting, and the development of novel inorganic bio-scaffolds. Although there are excellent reviews and studies focused on emergent developments in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine [
7,
50,
52,
54,
55], this review primarily focuses on recent progress in the application of inorganic biomaterials in stem cell regenerative research, tissue engineering, artificial skin, cartilage regeneration, and wound healing. The review also addresses the challenges related to the clinical application and tissue compatibility of inorganic biomaterials, utilizing current state-of-the-art techniques.
2. Inorganic-Based Nanoparticles and Biomaterials as Scaffolds in Regenerative Medicine
Contemporary regenerative medicine strategies employ inorganic-based biomaterial scaffolds that mimic the ECM of tissues, thereby enhancing tissue regeneration and healing [
1]. Scaffolding materials constitute the structural basis that, at best, can fully, or in part, mimic the native function of the ECM and help cells adhere, proliferate, and differentiate
in vitro and
in vivo following implantation [
56,
57]. The fabrication of bio-based inorganic material scaffolds facilitates the construction of substitute tissues that are biocompatible, safe, and easily biodegradable without releasing toxic byproducts [
58]. These properties enable a flexible cellular response within the intracellular matrix environments and provide structural support for cell adhesion and tissue regeneration. Polymeric nanoparticles, lipid-based nanoparticles, and inorganic nanoparticles are widely studied in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biomedical imaging applications [
59,
60,
61] to enhance cell viability and achieve optimal cell-directing capabilities [
32,
61]. In the area of bone tissue engineering, inorganic biomaterials such as hydroxyapatite (HAP), HAP/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) composites, calcium phosphate-based biomaterials, polymer/ceramic composites are shown to be osteoinductive (ability to induce ectopic bone formation by instructing the surrounding
in vivo environment to form bone) [
62] and induce bone formation ectopically [
57,
63,
64]. Hasan et al. reviewed the different applications of nanoparticles in tissue engineering [
65]. Biomaterials for bone regeneration should be capable of
osseointegration (integration into surrounding bone) and
osteoconductive (supports bone growth and encourages the ingrowth of surrounding bone). Undoubtedly, inorganic biomaterials have broad prospects in regenerative medicine with a wide array of inorganic materials that endow regenerative function [
66].
Figure 1 depicts a multifaceted approach involving cell therapy, biomaterials, and biomolecules or external stimulation for treating bone and muscle musculoskeletal disease using regenerative medicine.
Chen et al. [
32] incorporated silica–iron oxide (silica-Fe
3O
4) nanoparticle, a superparamagnetic mesocellular foam, to guide cell injection, increase viability and cell retention by magnetic manipulation, and sustain the release of cargo in the survival of human MSCs essential for improved efficacy in stem cell therapy in cardiovascular diseases. Alternatively, porous nanomaterials such as mesoporous silica nanoparticles, metallic oxide nanoparticles, HAPs, and titanium dioxide nanotubes, due to their higher porosity and surface area have enabled drug delivery, imaging, osteoblast differentiation, and bone regeneration that mimic natural bone and implants [
68].
In a recent study, Friggeri et al. [
69] investigated the application of a multifunctional graphene oxide-polycaprolactone (GO-PCL) composite material as a 3D printing scaffold. The composite material exhibited antibacterial and adhesive growth properties, highlighting its potential applications in tissue engineering (
Figure 2). The adsorption of solvent molecules by GO reduced bacterial adhesion during surgical procedures. The cellular adhesion on PCL-GO was significantly lower compared to PCL samples. The toxicity toward VERO cells of DMEM conditioned with PCL-GO scaffolds for 7 days was considerably lower compared to cells treated with DMEM conditioned with only PCL scaffold; there was no significant release of toxic molecules in the medium after 7 days of scaffold submersion in DMEM. The decreased cell adhesion in PCL-GO minimized biofouling risks in a surgical environment. Controlling the long-term cell adhesion ensured scaffold biodegradability and population over time, vital in promoting successful tissue regeneration.
Poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA)/PCL matrix polymer containing gelatin nanofibers (GNFs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were fabricated for scaffolding applications in bone tissue engineering [
70]. Gelatin is a biopolymer obtained from the hydrolysis of collagen, that is favorable for tissue engineering due to biocompatibility, biodegradability, low cost, low immunogenicity, and acceptable solubility properties [
71]. The MG-63 cell proliferation and induced cytotoxicity on the fabricated scaffolds were measured using an MTT assay. The highest cell growth was obtained by PLA/PCL/GNF/AuNPs (80 ppm) at 72 h, which was statistically significant compared with the other group (
Figure 3). AuNPs were nontoxic and biocompatible at optimum concentrations. The
in vitro studies showed that 160 ppm concentration of AuNPs induced toxicity and 80 ppm AuNPs exhibited the highest cell proliferation. The
in vivo studies showed that PCL/PLLA/Gel/80 ppm AuNPs induced the highest neo-bone formation, osteocyte in lacuna woven bone formation, and angiogenesis in the defect site. The low amount of AuNPs (80 ppm) incorporated in the scaffolds did not interrupt the normal functions of cells. Animal studies showed that PLA/PCL/GNF/AuNPs (80 ppm) scaffold induced the highest bone regeneration, and a combination of AuNPs and GNFs nanostructures mimicked the native structure of bone and stimulated bone healing process.
PCL, PCL/silk fibroin (SF), and PCL/SF/Au(SiO
2) composite nanofibrous scaffolds were tested for their capability to support bone tissue regeneration of human MSCs (
hMSCs) [
72]. The
hMSCs grown on PCL had a lower proliferation level than PCL/SF and PCL/SF/Au(SiO
2) attributed to the absence of active binding sites in PCL. The cells grown on PCL/SF and PCL/SF/Au(SiO
2) scaffolds has significantly higher proliferation levels (
p < 0.05), compared to those grown on TCP and PCL, as the bioactive SF and Au(SiO
2) increased the hydrophilicity of scaffold for cell adhesion [
72]. The Au(SiO
2) was essential for stimulating cell growth and tissue formation and the addition of SF and Au(SiO
2) stimulated the proliferation of
hMSCs without inducing toxicity.
Composite membranes based on polysulphone-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes and short carbon fibers were synthesized to elucidate the physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties [
73]. The
in vitro results suggested that the membranes were biocompatible in contact with MG-63 cells. The interaction mechanism between cells and composites depended on the porosity of membranes, the presence of carbon additives on the membrane surface, and surface chemistry. Sithole et al. [
74] developed a novel 3D-printed biomaterial scaffold, to enhance and guide host cells’ growth for bone tissue regeneration. The 3D-printed biomaterial scaffolds were implanted in induced nasal bone defects of New Zealand white rabbits to examine the potential for bone tissue regeneration/formation. Osteoblast-like MG63 cells were utilized to culture the novel printed scaffold for 1, 3, and 7 days, respectively. The scaffold was significant for biological bone (e.g., Ca-P) as confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis.
Figure 4 shows the SEM images on the 3D-printed biomaterial scaffolds seeded with osteoblast-like MG63 cells and without cells (control).
Figure 4a depicts the 3D-printed biomaterial scaffold without cells (control) and seeded with osteoblast-like cells (
Figure 4b and c). The cell adhesion on the rough surface was found to be advantageous for the development of implanted devices. The osteoblast-like MG63 cells and human BMP-7 protein were successfully seeded onto the novel 3D-printed biomaterial scaffolds. The
in vitro experiments were performed to assess the performance of the 3D-printed biomaterial scaffold and the release of BMP-7 from the scaffold in a manner that mimicked the natural bone fracture healing process [
74]. BMP-7 was proposed to adhere to the 3D-printed biomaterial scaffold’s surface, leading to an early burst release. However, maintaining a steady release of BMP-7 is also important, as high concentrations could cause adverse side effects such as heterotopic bone formation, edema, or inflammatory reactions.
A multilayer cell assembly technology that utilized a biodegradable nanochannel (BNC) membrane, hierarchically assembled from 3D manganese dioxide (MnO
2) nanosheet aggregates was developed for rapid, accurate, and programmable 3D cell assembly applicable for tissue engineering, cell assembly, and disease modeling [
75]. The cell assembly was crucial in creating single- and multicellular patterns with high precision and generating scaffold-free tissues after cell assembly. As membrane building blocks, MnO
2 nanomaterial demonstrated fast biodegradation rates (1–3 orders of magnitude higher than present polymeric materials). The transplantation of 3D scaffold-free tissues generated using the BNC cell assembly method accelerated injury repair in both
in vitro models and
in vivo experiments. This study by Yang et al. [
75] was a proof-of-concept application in modeling and treating wound healing with the potential for diverse clinical applications.
Yang et al. [
76] developed a biodegradable hybrid inorganic nanoscaffold-based method for improving the transplantation of human patient-derived neural stem cells (NSCs), selective differentiation, and drug delivery. The developed biodegradable hybrid inorganic nanoscaffold showed an upregulated ECM-protein binding affinity, efficient drug loading with sustained drug delivery capability, and innovative magnetic resonance imaging-based drug release monitoring. By seeding human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived NSCs as a model system on laminin-coated 3D-MnO
2 nanoscaffold, a significant enhancement of neuronal differentiation (43% increase) and neurite outgrowth (11-fold increase) was observed.
4. Challenges with the Application of Inorganic Biomaterials in Regenerative Medicine
Clinical application of inorganic biomaterials in regenerative medicine confronts challenges, including, but not limited to, long-term fate in biocompatibility and bioaccumulation, nanoparticle/nanomaterial toxicity, better assessment tools, optimizing the mechanical properties, stem cell fate, and so on. The toxicity, carcinogenicity, bioaccumulation, and teratogenicity of nanoparticles are dose- and exposure-dependent [
65]. Advances in materials science and engineering technology for designing and applying biomimetic 3D-printed degradable scaffolds have paved the way for pioneering research strategies in regenerative therapy [
149]. E.g. a biocompatible, high-performance semicrystalline polymer, poly (ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK), named bone cement, was one of the most prominent candidates in manufacturing bone implants approved by the FDA [
150,
151]. Since PEEK is chemically inert and has poor integration, incorporating bioactive metals such as strontium or hydroxyapatite could stimulate cell differentiation [
151,
152]. Thus, the design and development of ‘immune interactive’ biomaterials can minimize immune response [
153], such as mediating macrophage polarization, decreasing body rejection, and governing the outcome of tissue engineering and regenerative therapy [
151].
Lele et al. [
154] performed a detailed study of engineered biomaterials for different clinical trials and specific diseases. Ophthalmic disease had the highest number of clinical trials followed by diseases of blood vessels and the oral cavity (
Figure 13). Clinical trials suggested that synthetic polymers can be used in the fabrication of contact lenses in the treatment of ophthalmic diseases, while natural polymers can be used in the treatment of skin diseases. Dental applications utilized autologous biomaterials, ceramics, and composites. Metals and combination materials, such as polymers coated on metals, were ubiquitous for treating coronary artery disease.
Tissue-engineered constructs have been used successfully in skin, bladder, bones, and cartilage repair [
7]. Engineered tissue constructs can be assembled from primary cells or specific tissue culture lines: fibroblasts, endothelial cells, or cardiac muscle [
155]. However, tissue constructs may not be able to seamlessly mimic the biological tissue due to differences in structure, organization, and lower cell density [
155]. This gives rise to functional differences. Tissue engineering constructs also require a continued blood supply for long-term stability following implantation [
156]. Thus, a continuing goal is to develop engineered tissue constructs with mechanical, structural, and functional properties that mimic biological tissue function and provide cues to diverse intercellular interactions.
Chronic wound healing is another area of regenerative medicine, currently undergoing clinical trials. Advanced wound care approaches, such as stem cells, biomaterials, and innovative treatment techniques are integrated to promote tissue regeneration and healing. However, there have been limited clinical case studies for bone tissue engineering using scaffolds and osteogenic cells, pointing to the slow advances in clinical tissue engineering [
8,
157]. Tissue rejection, challenges in surgical reconstruction, and lack of donor tissues are some of the major drawbacks that may impair the integration of inorganic biomaterials with natural tissues or organs to drive cell differentiation. Further, scalability, cost, regulatory issues, and uptake are other factors that largely limit the clinical translation of complex structures [
158,
159]. Also, ethical concerns concerning the utilization of tissue cells and human embryonic stem cells cannot be sidelined. Thus, clinical translation of regenerative medicine requires the development of appropriate guidelines for the safe and effective delivery of regenerative medicine strategies. The involvement of start-up corporations and enterprises is essential for streamlining the development of innovative therapies, and the speedy and effective delivery of regenerative medicine to physicians and patients [
160]. These advances are pivotal in advancing cutting-edge research and facilitating clinical applications. By bridging the gap between laboratory research and practical implementation, they ensure that breakthroughs in regenerative medicine reach those in need more quickly and efficiently.