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Silicate and borate glasses as composite fillers: a bioactivity and biocompatibility study
P P Lopes1, B J M Leite Ferreira, P S Gomes
1CICECO and Department of Ceramics and Glass Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Medicine
|May 11, 2011
Summary
Silicate glass composites (CSi) show promising bioactivity and promote cell proliferation, while borate glass composites (CB) exhibit high degradation, inhibiting cell growth. This highlights differences in in vitro behavior for biomaterial development.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Materials Science
- Biocompatibility Testing
Background:
- Development of novel composite materials for biomedical applications is crucial.
- Understanding the in vitro behavior of glass-filled composites is essential for predicting in vivo performance.
- Silicate and borate glasses offer distinct chemical properties that may influence biological interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the in vitro behavior of silicate glass (CSi) and borate glass (CB) composites in acellular and cellular media.
- To evaluate the bioactivity and biocompatibility of these novel composite materials.
- To investigate the effect of glass composition on cell proliferation and morphology.
Main Methods:
- Composites were immersed in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) for acellular testing.
- Characterization included Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) analysis.
- In vitro biocompatibility was assessed using MG-63 osteoblast-like cells and human bone marrow cells.
Main Results:
- All composite surfaces exhibited the growth of calcium phosphate aggregates in SBF, indicating potential bioactivity.
- CSi composites demonstrated an inductive effect on cell proliferation, with cells showing normal morphology and high growth rates.
- CB composites showed inhibited cell proliferation, likely due to a high degradation rate releasing excessive Boron (B) and Magnesium (Mg) ions.
Conclusions:
- CSi composites are potentially bioactive and support osteoblast proliferation, suggesting suitability for bone tissue engineering.
- CB composites exhibit a high degradation rate, which can lead to cytotoxicity, limiting their application.
- The choice of glass filler significantly impacts the in vitro bioactivity and biocompatibility of composite materials.
