Promising trends of bioceramics in the biomaterials field

Biomedical scientific community is currently demanding new advances in the designing of 3rd generation bioceramics, which promote bone tissue regeneration. In the last years, the development of supramolecular chemistry and the application of organic-inorganic hybrid materials in the biomedical field have resulted in a new generation of advanced bioceramics, which exhibit fascinating properties for regenerative purposes together with the possibility of being used as carriers of biologically active molecules. This communication overviews the evolution occurred from the first silica based bioceramics to the last advances in the synthesis of bioceramics for bone tissue regeneration. A critical review concerning the first bioactive glasses as well as the newest hybrid bioactive materials and templated mesoporous bioactive systems, will be performed from the point of view of their potential applications as replacement materials in bone repair and regeneration.