Anodized 20 nm diameter nanotubular titanium for improved bladder stent applications

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Urology

Background:

• Urothelial cell coverage is crucial for bladder applications to prevent immune responses and material exposure.
• Ureteral stents are prone to infection and encrustation, complications that can be mitigated by promoting urothelialization.
• Nanomaterials offer unique surface properties that may enhance urothelial cell adhesion and proliferation on medical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of nanotextured titanium surfaces on human urothelial cell attachment and spreading.
• To determine if specific nanotube dimensions can improve urothelialization for bladder stent applications.

Main Methods:

• Titanium surfaces were modified using an anodization process to create nanotubular structures with varying diameters (20-80 nm) and fixed lengths (approx. 500 nm).
• Human urothelial cells were cultured on untreated titanium and nanotextured titanium surfaces.
• Cell adhesion and growth were assessed over a 3-day period.

Main Results:

• Titanium surfaces with 20 nm diameter nanotubular structures significantly enhanced human urothelial cell adhesion and growth compared to untreated titanium.
• 80 nm nanotubular titanium surfaces showed less enhancement in cell adhesion and growth than the 20 nm surfaces.
• The 20 nm nanotubular titanium surfaces promoted urothelialization up to 3 days in culture.

Conclusions:

• Nanotubular titanium surfaces, particularly those with 20 nm diameters, show significant potential for improving bladder stent performance.
• This nanotextured titanium warrants further investigation for developing next-generation bladder stents with enhanced urothelialization.
• Optimizing nanotopography on titanium could lead to reduced stent-related complications like infection and encrustation.