Paper Title
Functional Composite Biomaterials with Polysaccharide for Regenerative Medicine Applications

Abstract
Purpose: Over the last few centuries, there has been an increase in the life span of people in highly developed countries, which consequently causes various diseases of civilization. One such disease is osteoporosis, which can cause bone fractures, even after minor trauma. Biomaterials are a rather innovative solution to improve the quality of life of patients. Most commonly, these are polymer-ceramic composite materials that, by combining, provide new properties. Methods: To create the composite biomaterial, a mixture of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as the polymer phase. A ceramic phase, which was Brushite, was also added. In addition, the biomaterials obtained were modified with the polysaccharide pullulan to impart biological activity. The composites obtained were subjected to incubation tests in fluids simulating the internal environment of the human body. In addition, surface morphology was examined before and after a 14-day incubation period using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Results: The study shows that during the 14-day incubation of the composites, the greatest changes were seen in the simulated body fluid (SBF). It is related to the formation of new apatite layers in the composites, as observed by SEM microscopy. The swelling factor decreases for materials with ceramics. Moreover, as the amount of PVP in the composite matrices increases, the swelling index decreases. Conclusion: The resulting composite biomaterials can carry active substances due to their sorption capacity. It is possible to personalize them according to patient needs. These materials may find wide application in regenerative medicine. Acknowledgement: The “Multifunctional biologically active composites for applications in bone regenerative medicine” project is carried out within the TEAM-NET program of the Foundation for Polish Science financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund. The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support. POIR.04.04.00-00-16D7/18. Keywords - Biomaterials, Pullulan, Polymers, Brushite