Considering the limited biocompatibility of currently available polymethyl methacrylate cement and insufficient mechanical properties of calcium phosphates (CaP), we developed a biomimicking composite bone cement consisting of injectable, photocrosslinkable propylene glycol-co-lactide dimethacrylates (organic phase) and firstly introduced reactive monocalcium phosphate monohydrate and β-tricalcium phosphate as inorganic fillers, replacing the conventional hydroxyapatite and brushite. This generated a nanoscaled interpenetrating network of CaP within the polymer matrix, resulting in 10-100 times higher mechanical properties. By controlling the organic and inorganic phase composition, we optimized the materials’ mechanical, degradation and biological properties as well as drug release kinetics and gene transfection efficiency, successfully accelerating bone regeneration by constructing a microenvironment conducive for BMSC osteogenesis. This product is widely considered as a breakthrough in composite bone cement, exhibiting great clinical potential.

These projects generated publications in Acta Biomater (2010, 6, 845), J Mater Sci-Mater Med (2011, 22, 1993), etc. Our reactive CaP fillers was patented and used by Ozics Holdings, Ltd. to treat osteoporotic vertebral fracture, and gained this company a CE mark for Comp06^TM and a listing as top 100 Swiss start-up in 2012 (http://www.ozics.com/). Moreover. it has won me the Central Research Fund from University of London as a PhD student.