β‐Carotene‐reinforced Poly(methyl methacrylate): A step forward in bioactive bone cements

By making use of the outstanding osteoinductive effects of β‐carotene, in this innovative research, we investigate the potential for application of β‐carotene‐reinforced PMMA resins. Different amounts of β‐carotene, from 0% to 5%, have been mixed with standard bone cements and characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques before testing with KUSA‐A1 murine mesenchymal cells. In vitro results showed that not only the amount of bone produced by the cells on the composite is comparable if not superior to modern bioglasses but also both adhesion and cellular proliferation are strongly promoted by the presence of β‐carotene. The increased biological properties came at the price of a small loss in elastic modulus, but it was observed that the presence of β‐carotene leads to an increase of ultimate strength, reaching an increase of about 30% at a concentration of about 2.5%. The enhanced bioactivity and mechanical strength make β‐carotene‐reinforced PMMA a promising, innovative material for biomedical applications.