Collagen/alginate/lipoic acid modified coral-derived porous scaffold promotes osteogenesis

Porous scaffolds based on calcium phosphate have extensive applications in the field of bone repair due to their excellent structural biomimicry, biocompatibility and bone conductivity. In this study, type I collagen and alginate matrix, lipoic acid and its sodium salts were successively applied for the modification of coral-derived porous scaffolds. The systematic characterization results showed that the modification operation retained its interconnected pore structure and significantly improves the compression and three-point bending mechanical properties. The results indicated that the introduction of collagen significantly improved the cell adhesion and proliferation activity of the porous scaffold, and the lipoic acid groups further enhanced the antibacterial performance of the composite scaffold. The ectopic osteogenesis in mouse muscle pockets experimental results indicated that the modified porous scaffold has significantly enhanced cell recruitment ability and early osteogenic differentiation, which make it a promising biomaterial for oral and maxillofacial bone regeneration. • A multifunctional coral-derived porous scaffold with strengthened mechanical properties, high cellular affinity and antibacterial activity was constructed. • The modification of collagen/alginate/lipoic acid coating endowed the scaffolds an ECM-like surface with the interconnected pore structures, enhancing its cell recruitment ability and early osteogenic differentiation. • The excellent physicochemical properties of the modified scaffold make it a promising biomaterial for oral and maxillofacial bone regeneration.