Surface nitridation improves bone cell response to melt-derived bioactive silicate/borosilicate glass composite...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Materials Engineering
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Bone repair often necessitates advanced biomaterials.
• Developing scaffolds that mimic bone's structure and promote healing is crucial.
• Bioactive glasses offer potential for bone regeneration due to their ability to interact with biological systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel bioactive amorphous glass-glass composite scaffolds (ICIE16/BSG) with interconnected porosity.
• To enhance the bioactivity and biological interaction of these scaffolds through surface functionalization.
• To evaluate the osteogenic potential of the developed scaffolds, particularly the nitrided variants.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of glass-glass composite scaffolds (ICIE16/BSG) from two melt-derived glasses using gel casting and foam replication.
• Surface functionalization of scaffolds via nitridation using hot gas N2/ammonia at 550°C for 2 hours, yielding ICIE16/BSG-NITRI.
• In vitro evaluation of scaffold degradation, hydroxyapatite conversion, and osteoblastic cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation.

Main Results:

• The developed ICIE16/BSG scaffolds exhibited interconnected porosity and mechanical stability.
• Nitridation significantly improved scaffold bioactivity, increasing degradation rate and apatite deposition.
• Osteoblastic cells demonstrated enhanced attachment, proliferation, and differentiation on the nitrided ICIE16/BSG-NITRI scaffolds compared to non-nitrided ones.

Conclusions:

• Novel nitrided bioactive glass-glass composite scaffolds (ICIE16/SBG-NITRI) show promise for stimulating bone repair.
• The interconnected porosity and enhanced bioactivity of nitrided scaffolds facilitate resorption and apatite formation.
• Improved cellular response, including earlier differentiation, highlights the therapeutic potential of these advanced biomaterials for bone regeneration.