Enhanced Osteogenic Activity and Antibacterial Properties of Graphene Oxide-Poly(Lactic Acid) Films for the Repair of Cranial Defects in Rats

The failure of bone defect repair caused by bacterial infection is a significant clinical challenge. However, the currently utilized bone graft materials lack antibacterial properties, necessitating the development of bone repair materials with both osteoinductive and antibacterial capabilities. Graphene oxide (GO) has garnered considerable attention due to its distinctive physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. In this study, we prepared a graphene oxide-poly(lactic acid) (GO-PLA) film with exceptional biological properties. In vitro investigations demonstrated that the GO-PLA film substantially enhanced the adhesion and proliferation capacity of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs). Furthermore, we observed augmented alkaline phosphatase activity as well as increased expression levels of osteogenic genes in rBMSCs cultured on the GO-PLA film. Additionally, we evaluated the antibacterial activity of our samples using gram-positive Streptococcus mutans (Sm) and gram-negative Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa). Our findings revealed that GO doping significantly inhibited bacterial growth. Moreover, implantation experiments conducted on rat skull defects demonstrated excellent guided bone regeneration performance exhibited by the GO-PLA film. Overall, our results indicate that the GO-PLA film possesses outstanding osteogenic and antibacterial properties, making it a promising biomaterial for bone tissue regeneration.