Biodegradable 'Nanobone' Material Could One Day Help Children Regrow Bone Without Grafts

Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a biodegradable "nanobone" material that could one day offer children born with cleft lip and palate an alternative to invasive bone graft surgery.

Published in ACS Nano, the study — carried out by the university's School of Dentistry, Charles Perkins Centre and Sydney Nano in collaboration with the University of Queensland — found that in a preclinical bone model, the material generated about 80% more new bone than a control material after eight weeks.

The material, a calcium-aluminosilicate nanomaterial, works by activating a naturally occurring growth factor already present in the body, called latent Transforming Growth Factor β1, at around ten times the level achieved with conventional methods. This attracts bone-forming stem cells to the injury site and encourages them to develop into bone-producing cells.

Cleft lip and palate, a birth defect affecting around 1 in 700 children, often means children must wait until they are 10 to 12 years old before surgeons can graft bone from elsewhere in the body into the jaw. Lead researcher Associate Professor Chun Xu said the long wait can affect a child's breathing, eating, speech and confidence.

The material also promoted blood clotting within about 30 seconds, helping stabilise the injury site early in healing. More than 4 million bone repair procedures are performed worldwide each year, and the researchers say the technology, while still in the preclinical stage, could eventually apply beyond cleft lip and palate to other bone defects.