Strontium Folate for Bone Regeneration

Bone fractures and skeletal defects are rising worldwide and require new developments in bone regeneration. Strontium (Sr) is an element that has been investigated for its role in bone remodeling and bone formation. This study is a review of strontium folate (SrFO), a recently developed, non-protein based, bone-promoting agent that is of interest in medical and pharmaceutical fields due to its improved features compared to current therapies for bone diseases.

An aging population has led to a steady increase in the number of musculoskeletal conditions and, in particular, of cartilage and bone surgical procedures. Therefore, the development of alternative materials and strategies in bone replacement therapies is of interest. Above a critical size, bone defects are not repaired by the self-healing system of the tissue. Thus, an osteoconductive and osteoinductive device (or scaffold) is usually required in order to regenerate the lost tissue. The scaffold must be composed of materials that stimulate and favor the formation of new bone tissue and must be structurally stable during the process of cell growth and expansion. In this regard, autografts are still considered the “gold standard.” However, they have many drawbacks, such as limited availability and morbidity of the donor site. Alternatively, a proper scaffold made of a given biomaterial would be desirable both to fill the defect and to act as a reservoir for growth factors and/or cells.

SrFO-based scaffolds increase bone regeneration in vivo. The Sr-based-systems seem to be a useful alternative for the regeneration of bone tissue in complicated defects. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6539601/