Enhanced model protein adsorption of nanoparticulate hydroxyapatite thin films on silk sericin and fibroin surfaces.

Hydroxyapatite coated metallic implants favorably combine the required biocompatibility with the mechanical properties. As an alternative to the industrial coating method of plasma spraying with inherently potential deleterious effects, sol-gel methods have attracted much attention. In this study, the effects of intermediate silk fibroin and silk sericin layers on the protein adsorption capacity of hydroxyapatite films formed by a particulate sol-gel method were determined experimentally. The preparation of the layered silk protein/hydroxyapatite structures on glass substrates, and the effects of the underlying silk proteins on the topography of the hydroxyapatite coatings were described. The topography of the hydroxyapatite layer fabricated on the silk sericin was such that the hydroxyapatite particles were oriented forming an oriented crystalline surface. The model protein (bovine serum albumin) adsorption increased to 2.62 µg/cm2 on the latter surface as compared to 1.37 µg/cm2 of hydroxyapatite on glass without an intermediate silk sericin layer. The BSA adsorption on glass (blank), glass/c-HAp, glass/m-HAp, glass/sericin/c-HAp, and glass/sericin/m-HAp substrates, reported as decrease in BSA concentration versus contact time.

Supramolecular hydrogel-infiltrated ceramics composite coating with combined antibacterial and self-lubricating performance.

Inspired by the structure and dynamic weeping lubricating mechanism of articular cartilage, a novel composite coating composed of a textured Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) ceramics reservoir and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) hybrid supramolecular hydrogel was developed on the basis of a soft/hard combination strategy. The precursor solution including the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-modified AgNPs and α-cyclodextrins (α-CDs) could be infiltrated deep into (50-60 µm) the pores of a textured YSZ ceramics substrate by a vacuum infiltration method, in situ forming a supramolecular hydrogel within the pores through host-guest inclusion between α-CDs and PEG chains distributed onto the surface of AgNPs. The AgNPs hybrid hydrogel showed thixotropic and thermoresponsive gel-sol transition behavior, low cytotoxicity, and excellent drug-loading capacity, as well as significant antibacterial properties. The textured YSZ ceramics not only provided a hard supporting skeleton and stable reservoir to protect the supramolecular hydrogel from destruction under load-bearing or shear condition, but also allowed retaining the stimuli-responsive gel-sol transition property and drug-release capability of the infiltrated hydrogel, endowing the composite coating with excellent antibacterial properties, and self-lubrication and wear-resistance performance. The composite coating in this work brings a new insight into the design of antibacterial and self-lubricating ceramic coatings for artificial joint applications.

Surface properties of a new lithium disilicate glass-ceramic after grinding.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of grinding on some surface properties of two lithium disilicate-based glass-ceramics, one experimental new product denominated LaMaV Press (UFSCar-Brazil) and another commercial known as IPS e-max Press (Ivoclar), in the context of simulated clinical adjustment. Discs (N = 24, 12 mm in diameter) were separated into four groups: LaMaV Press with no grinding (E), LaMaV Press after grinding (EG), IPS e-max Press with no grinding (C), and IPS e-max Press after grinding (CG). A 0.1-mm deep grinding was carried out on EG and CG samples (final thickness of 1.4 mm) using a diamond stone in a low-speed device. The E and C samples had the same thickness. The effect of grinding on the sample surfaces was evaluated by X-ray diffraction, mechanical and optical profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, goniometry, and Vickers hardness. The mean roughness (Ra) was evaluated by Kruskal-Wallis and Student-Newman-Keuls statistics. The surface energy (SE) by the sessile drop method and Vickers hardness (VH) were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. The Ra medians were E = 1.69 µm, EG = 1.57 µm, C = 1.45 µm, and CG = 1.13 µm with p = 0.0284. The SE and VH were similar for all materials and treatments. Grinding smoothed the surfaces and did not significantly alter the hardness and surface energy of both LaMaV Press and IPS e-max Press. These glass-ceramics presented similar surface properties, and clinical adjustments can be implemented without loss of performance of both materials. A grinding standardization device developed that allowed to control the amount of grinding, the speed of rotation speed and the force exerted on the samples.

A review of in vitro cell culture testing methods for bioactive glasses and other biomaterials for hard tissue regeneration.

Bioactive glasses are used to regenerate bone by a mechanism which involves surface degradation, the release of ions such as calcium, soluble silica and phosphate and the precipitation of a biomimetic apatite surface layer on the glass. One major area of bioactive glass research is the incorporation of therapeutically active ions to broaden the application range of these materials. When developing such new compositions, in vitro cell culture studies are a key part of their characterisation. However, parameters of cell culture studies vary widely, and depending on the intended use of bioactive glass compositions, different layouts, cell types and assays need to be used. The aim of this publication is to provide materials scientists, particularly those new to cell culture studies, with a tool for selecting the most appropriate assays to give insight into the properties of interest.

3D printing of an integrated triphasic MBG-alginate scaffold with enhanced interface bonding for hard tissue applications.

Osteochondral defects affect both of cartilage and subchondral areas, thus it poses a significant challenge to simultaneously regenerate two parts in orthopedics. Tissue engineering strategy is currently regarded as the most promising way to repair osteochondral defects. This study focuses on developing a multilayered scaffold with enhanced interface bonding through 3D printing. One-shot printing process enables control over material composition, pore structure, and size in each region of the scaffold, while realizes seamlessly integrated construct as well. The scaffold was designed to be triphasic: a porous bone layer composed of alginate sodium (SA) and mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBG), an intermediate dense layer also composed of SA and MBG and a cartilaginous layer composed of SA. The mechanical strength including the interface adhesion strength between layers were characterized. The results indicated that SA crosslinking after 3D printing anchored different materials together and integrated all regions. Additional scaffold soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF) and cell culture medium induced apatite deposition and had weakened the compressive and tensile strengths, while no layer dislocation or delamination occurred.

In-vitro bioactivity of silicate-phosphate glasses using agriculture biomass silica.

In the present work, silica extracted from the agricultural waste material; rice husk (RH) was utilized for the synthesis of biocompatible glass of general composition SiO2-P2O5-CaO-MgO-MoO3. In the synthesized glasses P2O5 (5%) and CaO (25%) was kept constant whereas MgO and MoO3 was varied from 10% to 20% and 0% to 5% respectively. The structural, morphological, elemental and functional properties of silica as well as the derived glasses were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques. The effect of MoO3 on the structural and thermal properties of silicate phosphate glasses has been studied in details. The bioactivity of as-synthesized glass samples were further evaluated after immersion in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) solution which shows bioactive properties thus enabling them to be used as scaffolds in implant materials.

Assessing the potential of boronic acid/chitosan/bioglass composite materials for tissue engineering applications.

Composite materials aimed at bone tissue engineering need to have suitable bioactivity in order to promote cell proliferation and adhesion. In this article, we study the potential of boronic acids to improve the bioactivity of chitosan-based composite materials. Samples were prepared using boronic acid functionalised chitosan and Bioglass 45S5. These composite materials, prepared by freeze-drying, exhibit 3D interconnected porosity. The materials were fully characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR and x-ray diffraction. Their bioactivity was assessed by immersion in simulated body fluid and cell cytotoxicity assays. Composite materials containing boronic acid show no toxicity for Mouse Sertoli (TM4), Human embryonic kidney 293 (Hek293) and Human bone marrow/stroma (HS-5) cells, as opposed to composites containing non-functionalised chitosan.

High strength brushite bioceramics obtained by selective regulation of crystal growth with chiral biomolecules.

Chirality seems to play a key role in mineralization. Indeed, in biominerals, the biomolecules that guide the formation and organization of inorganic crystals and help construct materials with exceptional mechanical properties, are homochiral. Here, we show that addition of homochiral l-(+)-tartaric acid improved the mechanical properties of brushite bioceramics by decreasing their crystal size, following the classic Hall-Petch strengthening effect; d-(-)-tartaric acid had the opposite effect. Adding l-(+)-Tar increased both the compressive strength (26 MPa) and the fracture toughness (0.3 MPa m1/2) of brushite bioceramics, by 33% and 62%, respectively, compared to brushite bioceramics without additives. In addition, l-(+)-tartaric acid enabled the fabrication of cements with high powder-to-liquid ratios, reaching a compressive strength and fracture toughness as high as 32.2 MPa and 0.6 MPa m1/2, respectively, approximately 62% and 268% higher than that of brushite bioceramics prepared without additives, respectively. Characterization of brushite crystals from the macro- to the atomic-level revealed that this regulation is attributable to a stereochemical matching between l-(+)-tartaric acid and the chiral steps of brushite crystals, which results in inhibition of brushite crystallization. These findings provide insight into understanding the role of chirality in mineralization, and how to control the crystallographic structure of bioceramics to achieve high-performance mechanical properties. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Calcium-phosphate cements are promising bone repair materials. However, their suboptimal mechanical properties limit their clinical use. Natural biominerals have remarkable mechanical properties that are the result of controlled size, shape and organization of their inorganic crystals. This is achieved by biomineralization proteins that are homochiral, composed of l- amino acids. Despite the importance of chiral l-biomolecules in biominerals, using homochiral molecules to fabricate bone cements has not been studied yet. In this study, we showed that homochiral l-(+)-tartaric acid can regulate the crystal structure and improve the mechanical properties of a calcium-phosphate cement. Hence, these findings open the door for a new way of designing strong bone cement and highlight the importance of chirality in bioceramics.

A novel, doped calcium silicate bioceramic synthesized by sol-gel method: Investigation of setting time and biological properties.

The aim of the current study was to synthesize a fast-setting ion-doped calcium silicate bioceramic by the sol-gel method and to characterize its in vitro apatite-forming ability and cell viability. Calcium silicate (CS), doped calcium silicate with zinc and magnesium, with Ca/Zn molar ratios of 6.7:1 (DCS1), and 4.5:1 (DCS2), were synthesized by the sol-gel method. Matreva white MTA (WMTA, Matreva, CA, Egypt) was used as a control. The synthesized powders were characterized by x-ray diffraction. Setting time was measured using the Gilmore needle indentation technique. The in vitro apatite-forming ability of the materials was evaluated by scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray. NIH3T3-E1 cells viability was tested using MTT assay. The ion release of Ca, Si, Zn, and Mg was measured using inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). One-way ANOVA was used to analyze setting time results. The Tukey's HSD post hoc test was used to establish significance (p < 0.001). For nonparametric data, the Kruskal-Wallis H test with Dunn's correction for post hoc comparison was used (p < 0.05). CS, DCS1, and DCS2 showed a significant decrease in setting time 33 ± 1.63 min, 28 ± 1.63 min, and 41.75 ± 2.87 min, respectively, compared to WMTA 91 ± 3.16 min (p < 0.001). DCS1 showed the highest apatite-forming ability and cell viability compared to the other groups. Ca and Si ions release decreased in both DCS1 and DCS2. The physical and biological properties of CS can be successfully improved by the sol-gel synthesis and ions doping. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 108B:56-66, 2020.

Effect of microwave and probe sonication processes on sol-gel-derived bioactive glass and its structural and biocompatible investigations.

This study is to investigate the effect of synthesis approaches on morphology, porosity, and biocompatibility of bioactive glass (BG). BG prepared through sol-gel approach was subsequently subjected to microwave and probe sonication techniques to investigate the structural and morphological effect. Hexagonal rod-shaped morphology was obtained in sol-gel-derived bioactive glass, whereas mesoporous particles and spherical-shaped morphology were observed in probe-sonicated and microwave-assisted sol-gel approaches, respectively. The probe-sonicated BG has mesopores with pore diameter of 14.7 nm, whereas surface porosity of 1.5 nm, and 3.5 nm for pure sol-gel and microwave-assisted sol-gel fabricated BGs. Granular size, shape, and porosity have a significant role at the point of contact with cellular membrane. Therefore, we studied the biocompatibility with respect to morphology and porosity of the fabricated BGs. From this study, we observed that the BG prepared using probe sonication method controls the particle size, further it enhances the porosity that altogether improves the biocompatibility. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 108B:143-155, 2020.

Comportamento biomecânico e sobrevivência de coroas de cerâmica híbrida implanto- suportadas confeccionadas por diferentes técnicas / Biomechanical behavior and survival of implant-supported hybrid ceramic crowns made by different techniques

O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar a probabilidade de sobrevivência e distribuição de tensão de restaurações de cerâmica infiltrada por polímero sobre implantes. Setenta e cinco coroas suportadas por implantes foram divididas de acordo com a técnica de fabricação, usando uma base de titânio(Tibase): CME - Solução protética de duas peças composta por uma coroa cimentada no pilar híbrido (Tibase + mesoestrutura cerâmica); MC - Solução protética de peça única composta por uma coroa cimentada diretamente sobre o Tibase; e MP - Solução protética de peça única composta por uma coroa cimentada em um Tibase com orifício de acesso para parafuso. Todas as coroas foram fadigadas pelo teste stepwise (intervalo de carga de 50 N a cada 20.000 ciclos até 1200 N e 350.000 ciclos). As coroas falhadas foram inspecionadas sob microscopia eletrônica de varredura e a probabilidade de sobrevivência foi analisada usando os testes Log-Rank e Willcoxon. Uma geometria tridimensional de cada grupo foi modelada e analisada pelo método dos elementos finitos. Resultados de deformação total, tensão de von-Misses, tensão principal máxima e microdeformação foram solicitados sob carga axial de 900 N. Log-Rank (p = 0,17) e Willcoxon (p = 0,11) revelaram uma probabilidade de sobrevivência semelhante entre as técnicas de fabricação sob 300 e 900 N. Independentemente da sobrevivência semelhante entre CME e MC, MP mostrou resistência característica superior e menor variação de dados. Maior concentração de tensão foi observada no perfil de emergência da coroa independente do grupo. A fractografia possibilitou identificar que a direção de propagação de trinca ocorreu da cervical para oclusal. É possível concluir que a sobrevivência de uma restauração implanto-suportada com cerâmica vítrea infiltrada por polímero independe da técnica utilizada para sua confecção; e que a região do perfil de emergência da coroa protética sempre deve ser avaliada nas consultas periódicas devido a grande prodominância de falhas nessa área(AU)

The present study aimed to investigate the survival probability and the stress distribution of a polymer infiltrate ceramic restorations cemented on a chairside titanium­base manufactured using different techniques. Seventy-five implant-supported crowns were divided according to the manufacturing technique using a chairside titanium­base: CME - Two-piece prosthetic solution composed by a crown cemented on the hybrid abutment; MC - One-piece prosthetic solution composed by a crown direct cemented on a titanium base; and MP - One-piece prosthetic solution composed by a crown cemented on a Tibase with screw access hole. All crowns were staircase fatigued (load step of 50 N in each 20,000 cycles until 1200 N and 350,000 cycles). The failed crowns were inspected under scanning electron microscopy. And the survival probability using Log-Rank and Willcoxon tests. One threedimensional geometry from each group were modeled and analyzed using the finite element method. Results in total deformation, von-Misses stress, maximum principal stress and microstrain were requested under 900 N axial load. Log-Rank (p = 0.17) and Willcoxon (p = 0.11) revealed similar survival probability between the techniques at 300 and 900 N. Regardless of the similar survival between CME and MC, MP showed superior characteristic strength and less data variation. Higher stress concentration was observed in the emergence profile of the crown regardless the group design. Fractography analysis allowed to identify that the crack propagation direction occurred from cervical to occlusal. It is possible to conclude that the survival of an implant-supported restoration with polymer infiltrated ceramic network is not influence by the technique used to make it; and that the emergence profile of the prosthetic crown must always be evaluated due to the great incidence of failures in this area(AU)

Resistência ao desgaste fisiológico da camada de caracterização da cerâmica híbrida / Resistance to physiological wear of the characterization layer of hybrid ceramic

Este estudo avaliou a resistência ao desgaste fisiológico da camada de caracterização aplicada sobre cerâmica híbrida com diferentes tratamentos de superfície, em função do antagonista. Foram confeccionados 160 discos (12 mm de diâmetro, 1,2 mm de espessura) de cerâmica híbrida com polímero (Vita Enamic, Vita Zhanfabrick, Bad Säckingen, Alemanha) e foram polidos com lixas de carbeto de silício até # 1200 e divididas aleatoriamente em grupos experimentais (n = 10), de acordo com o tratamento da superfície da cerâmica previamente à caracterização e a finalização da cerâmica com camada de glaze ou não (P: amostras polidas sem caracterização; PG: amostras polidas, finalização com glaze; C: pigmentação convencional; CG: pigmentação convencional, finalização com glaze; J: jateamento; JG: jateamento, finalização com glaze; S: uso de silano autocondicionante; SG: uso de silano autocondicionante, finalização com glaze). Metade dos espécimes foram submetidos à simulação do desgaste fisiológico com aplicadores de esteatita, enquanto para a outra metade com aplicadores de cerâmica híbrida. Com auxílio de perfilômetro de contato foram analisados parâmetros de rugosidade. A rugosidade média Ra e espaçamento RSm foram analisados pela estatística ANOVA 3 fatores (tratamento de superfície x presença de glaze x antagonista), seguido por teste de Tukey com a=5%. Houve influência da interação dos 3 fatores na rugosidade média (Ra) da cerâmica PIC (p=0,000) e na interação 2 fatores (tratamento de superfície x presença glaze) na rugosidade de espaçamento RSm da cerâmica PIC (p=0,011). A cerâmica híbrida necessita de um tratamento de superfície para que seja realizada a caracterização extrínseca. A aplicação do glaze após a caracterização reduz a rugosidade superficial e o potencial de desgaste do antagonista(AU)

This study evaluated the resistance to physiological wear of the characterization layer applied over hybrid ceramic with different surface treatments, with different antagonists. One hundred and sixty discs were confectioned (12 mm of diameter, 1.2 mm of thickness) of hybrid ceramic with polymer (Vita Enamic, Vita Zhanfabrick, Bad Säckingen, Germany) and were polished with silicon carbide paper # 1200 and randomly divided into experimental groups (n = 10), according to the surface treatment previously to the characterization and finishing of the ceramic either with a glaze layer or not (P: samples polished without characterization; PG: polished samples with glaze finishing; C: conventional pigmentation; CG: conventional pigmentation finishing with glaze; J: sandblasting; JG: sandblasting, finishing with glaze; S: use of self-etching silane; SG: use of self-etching silane, finishing with glaze). Half of the specimens were submitted to simulation of physiological wear with steatite applicators, meanwhile for the other half, applicators of hybrid ceramic were used. With the aid of a contact perfilometer, roughness parameters were analyzed. The mean roughness Ra and spacing roughness RSm were statistically analyzed by 3-way ANOVA (surface treatment x glaze presence x antagonist), followed by Tukey (a= 5%). There was influence of interaction of the three factors in mean roughness (Ra) of hybrid ceramic (p=0.000) and in the interaction of two factors (surface treatment x glaze presence) in the spacing roughness RSm of the hybrid ceramic (p=0.011). Hybrid ceramic require a surface treatment for extrinsic characterization. Glaze application after characterization decreases surface roughness and wear potential of the antagonist(AU)

Effect of ethanol/TEOS ratios and amount of ammonia on the properties of copper-doped calcium silicate nanoceramics.

Calcium magnesium silicate glasses could be suggested for the synthesis of scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration, as they present a high residual glassy phase, high hardness values and hydroxyapatite-forming ability. The use of trace elements in the human body, such as Cu, could improve the biological performance of such glasses, as Cu is known to play a significant role in angiogenesis. Nano-bioceramics are preferable compared to their micro-scale counterparts, because of their increased surface area, which improves both mechanical properties and apatite-forming ability due to the increased nucleation sites provided, their high diffusion rates, reduced sintering time or temperature, and high mechanical properties. The aim of the present work was the evaluation of the effect of different ratios of Ethanol/TEOS and total amount of the inserted ammonia to the particle size, morphology and bioactive, hemolytic and antibacterial behavior of nanoparticles in the quaternary system SiO2-CaO-MgO-CuO. Different ratios of Ethanol/TEOS and ammonia amount affected the size and morphology of bioactive nanopowders. The optimum materials were synthesized with the highest ethanol/TEOS ratio and ammonia amount as verified by the enhanced apatite-forming ability and antibacterial and non-hemolytic properties.

Hydrated Zinc Borates and Their Industrial Use.

Zinc borates are important chemical products having industrial applications as functional additives in polymers, bio-composites, paints and ceramics. Of the thirteen well documented hydrated binary zinc borates, Zn[B3O4(OH)3] (2ZnO∙3B2O3∙3H2O) is manufactured in the largest quantity and is known as an article of commerce as 2ZnO∙3B2O3∙3.5H2O. Other hydrated zinc borates in commercial use include 4ZnO∙B2O3∙H2O, 3ZnO∙3B2O3∙5H2O and 2ZnO∙3B2O3∙7H2O. The history, chemistry, and applications of these and other hydrated zinc borate phases are briefly reviewed, and outstanding problems in the field are highlighted.

"Effect of Zn content and aging temperature on the in-vitro properties of heat-treated and Ca/P ceramic-coated Mg-0.5%Ca-x%Zn alloys".

While potentially strong enough for load-bearing skeletal reconstruction applications, the corrosion (biodegradation) rate of biocompatible Mg-Zn-Ca-based alloys still presents. The present work reports on the use of heat treatment (strengthening and resorption delaying) and micro arc oxidation (MAO) coating (corrosion delaying) processes which were developed to induce desirable corrosion rates which are essential to maintaining the mechanical integrity of Mg-Zn-Ca-based alloys during the bone healing period. Three Mg-x%Zn-0.5%Ca (wt%) alloys with different levels of Zn content (1.2, 1.6 and 5 wt%) were prepared and heat-treated at different age hardening temperatures (100, 150, 200 and 250 °C). In order to further decrease the corrosion rate and improve the bioactivity, samples of the heat-treated Alloy I (Mg-1.2wt%Zn-0.5wt%Ca) at the optimized age-hardening conditions were successfully coated with a biocompatible composite coating without and with HA/ß-TCP nanoparticles by using an MAO process. The microstructure, morphology and the composition of the heat-treated and coated materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Hardness and compression tests were conducted, while a corrosion investigation of heat-treated and coated samples was performed using potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and a mechanical integrity immersion test. The results confirmed that Zn content and age hardening temperature have significant effects on the mechanical and corrosion properties of heat-treated Mg-Zn-Ca-based alloys. Alloy I, which has 1.2 wt% Zn content and was aged at 200 °C, showed the best combination of corrosion (slowest) and mechanical (highest) properties. The MAO (HA/ß-TCP) composite coating significantly improved corrosion resistance compared to the uncoated heat-treated alloy, with only 11.3% reduction in the compressive strength after 8 weeks of immersion.

Thermoresponsive Brushes Facilitate Effective Reinforcement of Calcium Phosphate Cements.

Calcium phosphate ceramics are frequently applied to stimulate regeneration of bone in view of their excellent biological compatibility with bone tissue. Unfortunately, these bioceramics are also highly brittle. To improve their toughness, fibers can be incorporated as the reinforcing component for the calcium phosphate cements. Herein, we functionalize the surface of poly(vinyl alcohol) fibers with thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brushes of tunable thickness to improve simultaneously fiber dispersion and fiber-matrix affinity. These brushes shift from hydrophilic to hydrophobic behavior at temperatures above their lower critical solution temperature of 32 °C. This dual thermoresponsive shift favors fiber dispersion throughout the hydrophilic calcium phosphate cements (at 21 °C) and toughens these cements when reaching their hydrophobic state (at 37 °C). The reinforcement efficacy of these surface-modified fibers was almost double at 37 versus 21 °C, which confirms the strong potential of thermoresponsive fibers for reinforcement of calcium phosphate cements.

Synthesis and characterization of biomimetic bioceramic nanoparticles with optimized physicochemical properties for bone tissue engineering.

Calcium phosphate bioceramics nanoparticles such as nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) and nano-tricalcium phosphate (nTCP) are the main focus of basic and applied research for bone tissue regeneration. In particular, a combination of these two phases (nHA + nTCP) which refers to as "nano-biphasic calcium phosphates (nBCP)" is of interest due to the preferred biodegradation nature compared to single-phase bioceramics. However, the available synthesis processes are challenging and the biomaterials properties are yet to be optimized to mimic the physiochemical properties of the natural nanoscale bone apatite. In this study, a new approach was developed for the production of optimized bioceramic nanoparticles aiming to improve their biomimecity for better biological performances. Nanoparticles were synthesized through a carefully controlled and modified wet mechano-chemical method combined with a controlled solid-state synthesis. Different processing variables have been analyzed including; milling parameters, post-synthesis treatment, and calcination phase. Detailed physicochemical characterizations of nanoparticles revealed higher crystallinity (∼100%), lower crystallite/particle size (58 nm), higher homogeneity, reduced particle agglomeration size (6 µm), and a closer molar ratio (1.8) to biological apatite compared to control and standard samples. Furthermore, the study group was confirmed as calcium-deficient carbonate-substituted BCP nanoparticles (nHA/nß-TCP: 92/8%). As such, the introduced method can afford an easier and accurate control over nanoparticle physiochemical properties including the composition phase which can be used for better customization of biomaterials for clinical applications. The findings of this article will also help researchers in the further advancement of production strategies of biomaterials. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 1654-1666, 2019.

Investigation of citric acid-assisted sol-gel synthesis coupled to the self-propagating combustion method for preparing bioactive glass with high structural homogeneity.

In this research, the mechanism of an efficient strategy for the synthesis of 58S bioglass with high structural homogeneity by a citric acid assisted sol-gel route was investigated. This is an interesting approach to prepare bioactive glass via the sol-gel method with application potential in bone tissue engineering and also for the development of new biomedical devices. Herein, 58S bioglass was synthesized by two routes: conventional sol-gel method (CSG) and citric acid assisted sol-gel route coupled to the self-propagating combustion method (SPC). The effects of citric acid on the temperature required for 58S vitreous consolidation, long- and short-range ordering were investigated by several analysis techniques. Results suggested that citric acid molecules serve as an effective molecular template formed by molecular network raised from intermolecular forces, especially the hydrogen bonds, resulting from the chemical interactions between the COOH and hydroxyl groups (water, ethanol, POH, SiOH). In this scenario, citric acid controls the phase segregation during the drying and combustion steps of the gel in the SPC method by establishing chemical interactions (hydrogen bonds) with the superficial silanol groups present on the small-sized silica nanoparticles present in the sol governing their growth. Besides these mentioned features, the self-propagating combustion behavior exhibited by the nitrate-citrate in the SPC xerogel during the combustion step allowed the removal of the organic load and the consolidation of the vitreous structure at a temperature considerably lower than the sample obtained by the CSG method. Consequently, the SPC method leads to the formation of a glass structure with high homogeneity for the 58S, whereas the conventional sol-gel method produces a matrix enriched with calcium phosphate crystalline nuclei - glass-ceramic.

Binary bioactive glass composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering-Structure and mechanical properties in micro and nano scale. A preliminary study.

Composite scaffolds of bioactive glass (SiO2-CaO) and bioresorbable polyesters: poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) were produced by polymer coating of porous foams. Their structure and mechanical properties were investigated in micro and nanoscale, by the means of scanning electron microscopy, PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Property Mapping (PF-QNM) atomic force microscopy, micro-computed tomography and contact angle measurements. This is one of the first studies in which the nanomechanical properties (elastic modulus, adhesion) were measured and mapped simultaneously with topography imaging (PF-QNM AFM) for bioactive glass and bioactive glass - polymer coated scaffolds. Our findings show that polymer coated scaffolds had higher average roughness and lower stiffness in comparison to pure bioactive glass scaffolds. Such coating-dependent scaffold properties may promote different cells-scaffold interaction.

Study on MgxSr3-x(PO4)2 bioceramics as potential bone grafts.

Magnesium (Mg) and strontium (Sr), which are essential nutrient elements in the natural bone, positively affect the osteogenic activity even in wide ranges of ion concentrations. However, it remains unknown whether magnesium-strontium phosphates [MgxSr3-x(PO4)2] are potential bone grafts for accelerating bone regeneration. Herein, a serial of MgxSr3-x(PO4)2, including Mg3(PO4)2, Mg2Sr(PO4)2, Mg1.5Sr1.5(PO4)2, MgSr2(PO4)2 and Sr3(PO4)2, were synthesized using a solid-state reaction approach. The physicochemical properties and cell behaviors of MgxSr3-x(PO4)2 bioceramics were characterized and compared with the common bone graft ß-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP). The results indicated that various MgxSr3-x(PO4)2 bioceramics differed in compressive strength and in vitro degradation rate. All the MgxSr3-x(PO4)2 bioceramics had excellent biocompatibility. In contrast to ß-TCP, the MgxSr3-x(PO4)2 enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity of mouse bone mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs), and inhibited osteoclastogenesis-related gene expression of RAW264.7 cells, but did not enhance osteogenesis-related gene expression of mBMSCs which were treated with osteogenesis induction supplements. However, Mg3(PO4)2 stimulated osteogenesis-related gene expression of mBMSCs without the treatment of osteogenesis induction supplements. This work contributes to the design of bone graft and may open a new avenue for the bone regeneration field.