Fabrication and characterization of photosensitive non-isocyanate polyurethane acrylate resin for 3D printing of customized biocompatible orthopedic surgical guides

Yan Wang; Zhichao Zheng; Janak L Pathak; Weiwei Feng; Weicong Wu; Chuangang Yang; Lihong Wu; Huade Zheng

doi:10.18063/ijb.684

Fabrication and characterization of photosensitive non-isocyanate polyurethane acrylate resin for 3D printing of customized biocompatible orthopedic surgical guides

Int J Bioprint. 2023 Feb 14;9(3):684. doi: 10.18063/ijb.684. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yan Wang^{1

2

3}, Zhichao Zheng⁴, Janak L Pathak⁴, Weiwei Feng^{1

2

3}, Weicong Wu^{1

2

3}, Chuangang Yang^{1

2

3}, Lihong Wu⁴, Huade Zheng^{1

2

3

5}

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
² National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province and Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
⁴ Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Oral Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research of Oral Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510182, China.
⁵ South China Institute of Collaborative Innovation, Dongguan 523808, China.

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D)-printed orthopedic surgical guides have the potential to provide personalized precision treatment. Non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) is commonly used in the 3D printing of biomedical materials but its application in the orthopedic surgical guide is limited by poor mechanical properties and biocompatibility. In this study, we fabricated non-isocyanate polyurethane acrylate (NIPUA) photosensitive resin with superior biocompatibility and mechanical properties required for 3D-printed orthopedic surgical guides. NIPU prepolymer was synthesized by a ring-opening reaction and a ring acrylation reaction. NIPUA was further synthesized using polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) as a modified material based on sustainable synthesis with reduced synthesis time. NIPUA showed the best tensile and flexural strengths when the PEGDA content reached 12 wt.%. NIPUA exhibited higher thermal stability, hemocompatibility, superior biocompatibility to ME3T3-E1 bone cells and C1C12 muscle cells, and non-immunogenic effect toward macrophages compared with commercial photosensitive resins. Commercial resins triggered a severe inflammatory response during in vivo implantation, but this effect was not observed during NIPUA implantation. Transcriptome analysis showed downregulation of cell death and cell cycle disruption-related genes, such as CDK2, CDKN1a, and GADD45a, and upregulation of autophagy and anti-tumor activity-related genes, such as MYC, PLK1, and BUB1b, in NIPUA-treated MC3T3-E1 cells compared with commercial resin-treated MC3T3-E1 cells. In conclusion, NIPUA resin showed excellent mechanical and thermal properties as well as good biocompatibility toward bone cells, muscle cells, and macrophages, suggesting its possible application in the 3D printing of customized orthopedic surgical guides.

Keywords: 3D printing; Biocompatibility; Non- isocyanate polyurethane; Orthopedic surgical guide; Photosensitive resins.