# Shape Memory Polymer Scaffolds to Treat Bone Defects in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

> **NIH NIH R03** · RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE · 2021 · $70,104

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder which has systemic effects. For
instance, AD patients generally suffer from low bone mineral density even in early stages of the disease, and
as such are more prone to bone fractures relative to the general population. Due to the loss in bone density,
autologous bone grafts are generally not an option in fracture repair for the AD patient population.
Furthermore, healing of fractures in AD is usually slow and often results in delayed or incomplete healing. This
delayed healing is on top of the already high complication rates often associated with defect repair. The loss in
bone mineral density in AD appears to be due in part to the abnormal peripheral sympathetic nerve (SN)
activation often associated with the disease. Particularly, elevated levels of TNFα in the osteoporotic AD bone
are correlated with abnormally active SNs, which are known to critically influence bone healing, resorption,
vascularization, and homeostasis. Thus, a biomaterial scaffold which stimulates a more normal phenotype in
growing SNs may enhance osteogenesis and bone healing in AD fracture repair. Recently, we proposed a new
scaffold design based on a novel class of shape memory polymers (SMPs). Avoiding the use of exogenous
factors – which can cause undesired off-target effects - these scaffolds provide intrinsic osteoinductivity
through the incorporated adhesion ligand(s) and a nanoscale polydopamine coating known to support
osteogenesis as well as the formation of hydroxyapatite. Interestingly, polydopamine coatings have also
recently been demonstrated to stimulate extension and phenotypic maturation in SN-like cells, as have
fibronectin- and laminin-derived integrin adhesion ligands. This R03 proposal focuses on tailoring the integrin
adhesion-based landscape of SMP scaffolds to promote desired SN cell and MSC phenotypes within the
context of an osteo- and neuro-inductive polydopamine base. This proposal is unique in its focus on tailoring
the phenotype of ingrowing SN cells toward improving MSC osteogenesis and doing so within a disease-
mimetic “inflamed” environment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10442203
- **Project number:** 3R03AG067140-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Melissa Grunlan
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $70,104
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-15 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10442203

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10442203, Shape Memory Polymer Scaffolds to Treat Bone Defects in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease (3R03AG067140-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10442203. Licensed CC0.

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