Directly created electrostatic micro-domains on hydroxyapatite: probing with a Kelvin Force probe and a protein.

Micro-domains of modified surface potential (SP) were created on hydroxyapatite films by direct patterning by mid-energy focused electron beam, typically available as a microprobe of Scanning Electron Microscopes. The SP distribution of these patterns has been studied on sub-micrometer scale by the Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy method as well as lysozyme adsorption. Since the lysozyme is positively charged at physiological pH, it allows us to track positively and negatively charged areas of the SP patterns. Distribution of the adsorbed proteins over the domains was in good agreement with the observed SP patterns.

Charge specific protein placement at submicrometer and nanometer scale by direct modification of surface potential by electron beam.

The understanding and the precise control of protein adsorption is extremely important for the development and optimization of biomaterials. The challenge resides in controlling the different surface properties, such as surface chemistry, roughness, wettability, or surface charge, independently, as modification of one property generally affects the other. We demonstrate the creation of electrically modified patterns on hydroxyapatite by using scanning electron beam to tailor the spatial regulation of protein adsorption via electrostatic interactions without affecting other surface properties of the material. We show that domains, presenting modulated surface potential, can be created to precisely promote or reduce protein adsorption.

Bioactive silica-based drug delivery systems containing doxorubicin hydrochloride: in vitro studies.

This study reports the applicability of sol-gel derived silica and silica-polydimethylsiloxane (silica-PDMS) composites as a potential bioactive implantable drug delivery system for doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). These composites also contain calcium chloride (CaCl(2)) and triethylphosphate as precursors of Ca(2+) and (PO(4))(3-) ions. These composites were immersed for 20 days in a simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37°C to study the release rate of the DOX, dissolution of the silica and the formation of hydroxyapatite on the composites' surface. The results show that the release rate of the DOX can be effectively tailored by either the addition of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or by varying the amount of CaCl(2), where the elution rate of DOX increases with increasing amount of the CaCl(2) precursor. Importantly, irrespective of the amount of CaCl(2), no burst release of DOX has been observed in any of the silica-PDMS system investigated. On the other hand, a slow release of DOX has been observed with a trend that followed a zero (0)-order kinetics for a total of 20 days of elusion. The dissolution of silica in SBF was ca. two-times faster than that of silica-PDMS, with the former reaching an average saturation level of 80 µg/mL whilst the latter reached 46 µg/mL within 20 days. Both the silica and the silica-PDMS composites show bioactivity i.e. they absorb calcium phosphate from SBF. Within 10 days, a ten-fold increase in the concentration of calcium phosphate deposit has been observed on the silica-PDMS relative to the silica. The constant rates of DOX release observed for the silica-PDMS composites indicate that the calcium phosphate deposit do not obstruct controlled release of the drug.