Final Defense – Aditi Dahiya

About the event

Speaker: Aditi Dahiya

Chair: Dr. Susmita Bose

Title: CONTROLLED RELEASE OF PHYTOCHEMICALS FROM CALCIUM PHOSPHATE SCAFFOLDS FOR BONE REGENERATION

Abstract: Critical-sized bone defects caused by trauma, infection, and tumor resection are a challenge due to the limited regenerative capacity of bone and the availability of grafts. Bone grafts lack the multifunctionality required to simultaneously promote osteogenesis, angiogenesis, control infection, and prevent tumor recurrence. This research addresses these needs by developing multifunctional biomaterial platforms that integrate phytochemicals and their derivatives into ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Firstly, carvacrol was incorporated into hydroxyapatite substrates. Carvacrol showed osteoclast suppression, enhanced osteogenesis, and vascularization. To further improve functionality, carvacrol was modified into an aldehyde derivative (CA-CHO) via ortho-formylation. CA-CHO, which showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and cytotoxicity toward osteosarcoma cells. Building on these results, carvacrol-derived Schiff’s base Cu²⁺ complexes, lipid nanoparticle encapsulation, and dual-drug formulations were studied. Carvacrol-loaded lipid nanoparticles incorporated into 3D-printed silica-doped TCP scaffolds showed ~90% bacterial inhibition and osteoblast support and osteosarcoma suppression, in vitro. Similarly, dual nanoparticles containing carvacrol and curcumin showed ~3-fold tumor inhibition and cytocompatibility towards osteoblasts. A curcumin–Mg²⁺ complex was integrated into 3D-printed TCP scaffolds, shifting release kinetics from burst to sustained profiles while promoting osteogenesis, suppressing osteoclast activity, and enhancing angiogenesis, and ~2-fold more new bone formation than the control in in vivo. These findings provide a foundation for the rational design of multifunctional biomaterials with broad potential in musculoskeletal regenerative medicine.