Proteomic analysis of the biological response of MG63 osteoblast-like cells to titanium implants

Proteomic evaluation of human osteoblast responses to titanium implants over time

Titanium is widely used in bone prostheses due to its excellent biocompatibility and osseointegration capacity. To understand the effect of sandblasted acid-etched (SAE) Ti implants on the biological responses of human osteoblast (HOb), their proteomic profiles were analyzed using nLC-MS/MS. The cells were cultured with the implant materials, and 2544 distinct proteins were detected in samples taken after 1, 3, and 7 days. Comparative analyses of proteomic data were performed using Perseus software. The expression of proteins related to EIF2, mTOR, insulin-secretion and IGF pathways showed marked differences in cells grown with SAE-Ti in comparison with cells cultured without Ti. Moreover, the proteomic profiles obtained with SAE-Ti were compared over time. The affected proteins were related to adhesion, immunity, oxidative stress, coagulation, angiogenesis, osteogenesis, and extracellular matrix formation functions. The proliferation, mineralization and osteogenic gene expression in HObs cultured with SAE-Ti were characterized in vitro. The results showed that the osteoblasts exposed to this material increase their mineralization rate and expression of COLI, RUNX2, SP7, CTNNB1, CAD13, IGF2, MAPK2, and mTOR. Overall, the observed proteomic profiles can explain the SAE-Ti osteogenic properties, widening our knowledge of key signaling pathways taking part in the early stages of the osseointegration process in this type of implantations.

Complex effects of Mg-biomaterials on the osteoblast cell machinery: A proteomic study

The cell-biomaterial interface is highly complex; thousands of molecules and many processes participate in its formation. Growing demand for improved biomaterials has highlighted the need to understand the structure and functions of this interface. Proteomic methods offer a viable alternative to the traditional in vitro techniques for analyzing such systems. Magnesium is a promoter of cell adhesion and osteogenesis. Here, we used the LC-MS/MS to compare the protein expression profiles of human osteoblasts (HOb) exposed to sol-gel coatings without (MT) and with Mg (MT1.5Mg) for 1, 3, and 7 days. PANTHER, DAVID, and IPA databases were employed for protein identification and data analysis. Confocal microscopy and gene expression analysis were used for further characterization. Exposure to MT1.5Mg increased the HOb cell area and the expression of SP7, RUNX2, IBP3, COL3A1, MXRA8, and FBN1 genes. Proteomic analysis showed that MT1.5Mg affected the early osteoblast maturation (PI3/AKT, mTOR, ERK/MAPK), insulin metabolism, cell adhesion (integrin, FAK, actin cytoskeleton regulation) and oxidative stress pathways. Thus, the effects of Mg on cell adhesion and osteogenesis are rather complex, affecting several pathways rather than single processes. Our analysis also confirms the potential of proteomics in biomaterial characterization, showing a good correlation with in vitro results.

Plasma-activated interfaces for biomedical engineering

As an important phenomenon to monitor disease development, cell signaling usually takes place at the interface between organisms/cells or between organisms/cells and abiotic materials. Therefore, finding a strategy to build the specific biomedical interfaces will help regulate information transmission and produce better therapeutic results to benefit patients. In the past decades, plasmas containing energetic and active species have been employed to construct various interfaces to meet biomedical demands such as bacteria inactivation, tissue regeneration, cancer therapy, and so on. Based on the potent functions of plasma modified surfaces, this mini-review is aimed to summarize the state-of-art plasma-activated interfaces and provide guidance to researchers to select the proper plasma and processing conditions to design and prepare interfaces with the optimal biological and related functions. After a brief introduction, plasma-activated interfaces are described and categorized according to different criteria including direct plasma-cells interfaces and indirect plasma-material-cells interfaces and recent research activities on the application of plasma-activated interfaces are described. The authors hope that this mini-review will spur interdisciplinary research efforts in this important area and expedite associated clinical applications.

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The Interfaces between organisms/cells and abiotic materials are crucial for cell signaling.

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Plasmas containing energetic and active species are potent tool to construct biomedical interfaces.

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The objective here is to summarize recent plasma-activated interfaces to spur interdisciplinary efforts for clinical applications.

Understanding interactions between biomaterials and biological systems using proteomics

The role that biomaterials play in the clinical treatment of damaged organs and tissues is changing. While biomaterials used in permanent medical devices were required to passively take over the function of a damaged tissue in the long term, current biomaterials are expected to trigger and harness the self-regenerative potential of the body in situ and then to degrade, the foundation of regenerative medicine. To meet these different requirements, it is imperative to fully understand the interactions biomaterials have with biological systems, in space and in time. This knowledge will lead to a better understanding of the regenerative capabilities of biomaterials aiding their design with improved functionalities (e.g. biocompatibility, bioactivity). Proteins play a pivotal role in the interaction between biomaterials and cells or tissues. Protein adsorption on the material surface is the very first event of this interaction, which is determinant for the subsequent processes of cell growth, differentiation, and extracellular matrix formation. Against this background, the aim of the current review is to provide insight in the current knowledge of the role of proteins in cell-biomaterial and tissue-biomaterial interactions. In particular, the focus is on proteomics studies, mainly using mass spectrometry, and the knowledge they have generated on protein adsorption of biomaterials, protein production by cells cultured on materials, safety and efficacy of new materials based on nanoparticles and the analysis of extracellular matrices and extracellular matrix-derived products. In the outlook, the potential and limitations of this approach are discussed and mass spectrometry imaging is presented as a powerful technique that complements existing mass spectrometry techniques by providing spatial molecular information about the material-biological system interactions.