Evaluation of CaO-SiO2-P2O5-Na2O-Fe2O3 bioglass-ceramics for hyperthermia application

High Boron Content Enhances Bioactive Glass Biodegradation

Derived Hench bioactive glass (BaG) containing boron (B) is explored in this work as it plays an important role in bone development and regeneration. B was also found to enhance BaG dissociation. However, it is only possible to incorporate a limited amount of B. To increase the amount of B in BaG, bioactive borosilicate glasses (BaG-B_x) were fabricated based on the use of the solution-gelation process (sol-gel). In this work, a high B content (20 wt.%) in BaG, respecting the conditions of bioactivity and biodegradability required by Hench, was achieved for the first time. The capability of BaG-B_x to form an apatite phase was assessed in vitro by immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). Then, the chemical structure and the morphological changes in the fabricated BaG-B_x (x = 0, 5, 10 and 20) were studied. The formation of hydroxyapatite (HAp) layer was observed with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The presence of HAp layer was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Enhanced bioactivity and chemical stability of BaG-B_x were evaluated with an ion exchange study based on Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Results indicate that by increasing the concentration of B in BaG-Bx, the crystallization rate and the quality of the newly formed HAp layer on BaG-B_x surfaces can be improved. The presence of B also leads to enhanced degradation of BaGs in SBF. Accordingly, BAG-B_x can be used for bone regeneration, especially in children, because of its faster degradation as compared to B-free glass.

Bioactive Glass—An Extensive Study of the Preparation and Coating Methods

Diseases or complications that are caused by bone tissue damage affect millions of patients every year. Orthopedic and dental implants have become important treatment options for replacing and repairing missing or damaged parts of bones and teeth. In order to use a material in the manufacture of implants, the material must meet several requirements, such as mechanical stability, elasticity, biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, corrosion resistance, and non-toxicity. In the 1970s, a biocompatible glassy material called bioactive glass was discovered. At a later time, several glass materials with similar properties were developed. This material has a big potential to be used in formulating medical devices, but its fragility is an important disadvantage. The use of bioactive glasses in the form of coatings on metal substrates allows the combination of the mechanical hardness of the metal and the biocompatibility of the bioactive glass. In this review, an extensive study of the literature was conducted regarding the preparation methods of bioactive glass and the different techniques of coating on various substrates, such as stainless steel, titanium, and their alloys. Furthermore, the main doping agents that can be used to impart special properties to the bioactive glass coatings are described.

New sol-gel-derived magnetic bioactive glass-ceramics containing superparamagnetic hematite nanocrystals for hyperthermia application

Although the three main phases of iron oxide - hematite, maghemite, and magnetite - exhibit superparamagnetic properties at the nanoscale, only maghemite and magnetite phases have been explored in magnetic bioactive glass-ceramics aimed at applications in cancer treatment by hyperthermia. In this work, it is reported for the first time the superparamagnetic properties of hematite nanocrystals grown in a 58S bioactive glass matrix derived from sol-gel synthesis. The glass-ceramics are based on the (100-x)(58SiO₂-33CaO-9P₂O₅)-xFe₂O₃ system (x = 10, 20 and 30 wt%). A thermal treatment leads to the growth of hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanocrystals, conferring superparamagnetic properties to the glass-ceramics, which is enough to produce heat under an external alternating magnetic field. Besides, the crystallization does not inhibit materials bioactivity, evidenced by the formation of calcium phosphate onto the glass-ceramic surface upon soaking in simulated body fluid. Moreover, their cytotoxicity is similar to other magnetic bioactive glass-ceramics reported in the literature. Finally, these results suggest that hematite nanocrystals' superparamagnetic properties may be explored in multifunctional glass-ceramics applied in bone cancer treatment by hyperthermia allied to bone regeneration.

Fabrication of poly(acrylic acid) grafted-chitosan/polyurethane/magnetic MIL-53 metal organic framework composite core-shell nanofibers for co-delivery of temozolomide and paclitaxel against glioblastoma cancer cells

In the present study, the magnetic MIL-53 nanometal organic framework particles (NMOFs) were incorporated into poly(acrylic acid) grafted-chitosan/polyurethane (PA-g-CS/PU) core-shell nanofibers for controlled release of temozolomide (TMZ) and paclitaxel (PTX) against U-87 MG glioblastoma cells during chemotherapy/hyperthermia combined method. The synthesized magnetic MIL-53 NMOFs and NMOF-loaded nanofibers were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR), vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The TMZ and PTX release profiles from magnetic MIL-53 5 wt% loaded-CS-g-PAA-PTX-TMZ/PU fibers were investigated under acidic and physiological pH at temperatures of 37 and 43 °C. The effect of hyperthermia on the release rate of TMZ and PTX from magnetic nanofibers was investigated. An alternating magnetic field could induce the mild hyperthermia (43 °C) for the cells treated with magnetic MIL-53 5 wt% loaded-CS-g-PAA-PTX-TMZ/PU fibers during 10 min. The release data were best described by the non-Fickian diffusion of Korsmeyer-Peppas equation. The cell viability, flowcytometry and Bcl-2, Bax expression levels were investigated to obtain the optimum nanofibrous carrier for apoptosis of U-87 MG cells in vitro. The obtained results indicated that the synthesized magnetic MIL-53 NMOFs loaded- PA-g-CS/PU/TMZ-PTX nanofibers (shell flow rate: 0.8 mLh^-1) could be used as a targeted delivery of anticancer agents with maximum apoptosis of 49.6% of U-87 MG glioblastoma cells under AMF during chemotherapy/hyperthermia combination therapy.

SEM and AFM Studies of Two-Phase Magnetic Alkali Borosilicate Glasses

The morphology and composition of four types of two-phase alkali borosilicate glasses with magnetic atoms prepared by inductive melting have been studied. The results of scanning electron microscopy point to uniform distribution of Na, Si, and O atoms in these samples while magnetic iron atoms form ball-shaped agglomerates. The magnetic properties of these agglomerates have been confirmed by magnetic force microscopy. Atomic force microscopy had shown that in these samples two different morphological structures, drop-like and dendrite net, are formed. The formation of dendrite-like structure is a necessary condition for production of porous magnetic glasses. The obtained results allow us to optimize the melting and heat treatment processes leading to production of porous alkali borosilicate glasses with magnetic properties. The first results for nanocomposite materials on the basis of magnetic glasses containing the embedded ferroelectrics KH₂PO₄ demonstrate the effect of applied magnetic field on the ferroelectric phase transition.

Multifunctional magnetic nanostructured hardystonite scaffold for hyperthermia, drug delivery and tissue engineering applications

Hyperthermia and local drug delivery have been proposed as potential therapeutic approaches for killing cancer cells. The development of bioactive materials such as Hardystonite (HT) with magnetic and drug delivery properties can potentially meet this target. This new class of magnetic bioceramic can replace the widely used magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, whose long-term biocompatibility is not clear. Magnetic HT can be potentially employed to develop new ceramic scaffolds for bone surgery and anticancer therapies. With this in mind, a synthesis procedure was developed to prepare multifunctional bioactive scaffold for tissue engineering, hyperthermia and drug delivery applications. To this end, iron (Fe³⁺)-containing HT scaffolds were prepared. The effect of Fe on biological, magnetic and drug delivery properties of HT scaffolds were investigated. The results showed that obtained Fe-HT is bioactive and magnetic with no magnetite or maghemite as secondary phases. The Fe-HT scaffolds obtained also possessed high specific surface areas and demonstrated sustained drug delivery. These results potentially open new aspects for biomaterials aimed at regeneration of large-bone defects caused by malignant bone tumors through a combination of hyperthermia, local drug delivery and osteoconductivity.

Therapeutic-designed electrospun bone scaffolds: mesoporous bioactive nanocarriers in hollow fiber composites to sequentially deliver dual growth factors

A novel therapeutic design of nanofibrous scaffolds, holding a capacity to load and deliver dual growth factors, that targets bone regeneration is proposed. Mesoporous bioactive glass nanospheres (MBNs) were used as bioactive nanocarriers for long-term delivery of the osteogenic enhancer fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18). Furthermore, a core-shell structure of a biopolymer fiber made of polyethylene oxide/polycaprolactone was introduced to load FGF2, another type of cell proliferative and angiogenic growth factor, safely within the core while releasing it more rapidly than FGF18. The prepared MBNs showed enlarged mesopores of about 7 nm, with a large surface area and pore volume. The protein-loading capacity of MBNs was as high as 13% when tested using cytochrome C, a model protein. The protein-loaded MBNs were smoothly incorporated within the core of the fiber by electrospinning, while preserving a fibrous morphology. The incorporation of MBNs significantly increased the apatite-forming ability and mechanical properties of the core-shell fibers. The possibility of sequential delivery of two experimental growth factors, FGF2 and FGF18, incorporated either within the core-shell fiber (FGF2) or within MBNs (FGF18), was demonstrated by the use of cytochrome C. In vitro studies using rat mesenchymal stem cells demonstrated the effects of the FGF2-FGF18 loadings: significant stimulation of cell proliferation as well as the induction of alkaline phosphate activity and cellular mineralization. An in vivo study performed on rat calvarium defects for 6 weeks demonstrated that FGF2-FGF18-loaded fiber scaffolds had significantly higher bone-forming ability, in terms of bone volume and density. The current design utilizing novel MBN nanocarriers with a core-shell structure aims to release two types of growth factors, FGF2 and FGF18, in a sequential manner, and is considered to provide a promising therapeutic scaffold platform that is effective for bone regeneration.

Morphology and magnetic properties of ferriferous two-phase sodium borosilicate glasses

This contribution is devoted to the study of morphology and magnetic properties of sodium borosilicate glasses with different concentrations (15, 20, and 25 wt.%) of α-Fe2O3 in an initial furnace charge. These glasses were prepared by a melt-quenching method. For all glasses a coexistence of drop-like and two-phase interpenetrative structures is observed. The most part of a drop structure is formed by self-assembling iron oxides particles. All types of glasses demonstrate the magnetic properties and can be used for preparation of porous magnetic matrices with nanometer through dendrite channel structure.

Multifunctional materials for bone cancer treatment

The purpose of this review is to present the most recent findings in bone tissue engineering. Special attention is given to multifunctional materials based on collagen and collagen-hydroxyapatite composites used for skin and bone cancer treatments. The multi-functionality of these materials was obtained by adding to the base regenerative grafts proper components, such as ferrites (magnetite being the most important representative), cytostatics (cisplatin, carboplatin, vincristine, methotrexate, paclitaxel, doxorubicin), silver nanoparticles, antibiotics (anthracyclines, geldanamycin), and/or analgesics (ibuprofen, fentanyl). The suitability of complex systems for the intended applications was systematically analyzed. The developmental possibilities of multifunctional materials with regenerative and curative roles (antitumoral as well as pain management) in the field of skin and bone cancer treatment are discussed. It is worth mentioning that better materials are likely to be developed by combining conventional and unconventional experimental strategies.

Biocompatible magnetite nanoparticles with varying silica-coating layer for use in biomedicine: physicochemical and magnetic properties, and cellular compatibility

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are considered highly useful in therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, MNPs require surface modification to promote dispersibility in aqueous solutions and thus biocompatibility. In this article, the authors modified MNPs with inorganic silica layer to create silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles (MNP@Si) via sol-gel process. Synthesis involves hydrolysis and condensation steps using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) in methanol/ polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution and ammonia catalyst. Nanoparticles were characterized in terms of morphology, particle size, crystalline phase, chemical-bond structure, surface charge and magnetic properties: in particular, the MNP@Si size was easily tunable through alteration of the Fe(3) O(4) -to-TEOS ratio. As this ratio increased, the MNP@Si size decreased from 270 to 15 nm whilst maintaining core 12-nm MNP particle size, indicating decrease in thickness of the silica coating. All MNP@Si, in direct contrast to uncoated MNPs, showed excellent stability in aqueous solution. The particles' physicochemical and magnetic properties systematically varied with size (coating thickness), and the zeta potential diminished toward negative values, while magnetization increased as the coating thickness decreased. 15-nm MNP@Si showed excellent magnetization (about 64.1 emu/g), almost comparable to that of uncoated MNPs (70.8 emu/g). Preliminary in vitro assays confirmed that the silica layer significantly reduced cellular toxicity as assessed by increase in cell viability and reduction in reactive oxygen species production during 48 h of culture. Newly-developed MNP@Si, with a high capacity for magnetization, water-dispersibility, and diminished cell toxicity, may be potentially useful in diverse biomedical applications, including delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic biomolecules.

Multifunctional magnetic mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds with a hierarchical pore structure

Hyperthermia and local drug delivery have been proposed as potential therapeutic approaches for bone defects resulting from malignant bone tumors. The development of bioactive materials with magnetic and drug delivery properties may potentially meet this target. The aim of this study was to develop a multifunctional mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) scaffold system for both hyperthermic and local drug delivery applications. To this end iron (Fe)-containing MBG (Fe-MBG) scaffolds with a hierarchical large pores structure (300-500 μm) and fingerprint-like mesopores (4.5 nm) have been prepared. The effects of Fe on the mesopore structure and physiochemical, magnetic, drug delivery and biological properties of MBG scaffolds have been systematically investigated. The results show that the morphology of the mesopores varied from straight channels to curved fingerprint-like channels after incorporation of Fe into MBG scaffolds. The magnetism of MBG scaffolds can be tailored by controlling the Fe content. Furthermore, the incorporation of Fe into mesoporous MBG glass scaffolds enhanced the mitochondrial activity and the expression of bone-related genes (ALP and OCN) in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) attached to the scaffolds. The Fe-MBG scaffolds obtained also possessed high specific surface areas and demonstrated sustained drug delivery. Thus Fe-MBG scaffolds are magnetic, degradable and bioactive. The multifunctionality of Fe-MBG scaffolds suggests that there is great potential for their use in the treatment and regeneration of large-bone defects caused by malignant bone tumors through a combination of hyperthermia, local drug delivery and osteoconductivity.

Magnetic bioactive glass ceramic in the system CaO-P2O5-SiO2-MgO-CaF2-MnO2-Fe2O3 for hyperthermia treatment of bone tumor

Magnetic bioactive glass ceramic (MG) in the system CaO-SiO(2)-P(2)O(5)-MgO-CaF(2)-MnO(2)-Fe(2)O(3) for hyperthermia treatment of bone tumor was synthesized. The phase composition was investigated by XRD. The magnetic property was measured by VSM. The in vitro bioactivity was investigated by simulated body fluid (SBF) soaking experiment. Cell growth on the surface of the material was evaluated by co-culturing osteoblast-like ROS17/2.8 cells with materials for 7 days. The results showed that MG contained CaSiO(3) and Ca(5)(PO(4))(3)F as the main phases, and MnFe(2)O(4) and Fe(3)O(4) as the magnetic phases. Under a magnetic field of 10,000 Oe, the saturation magnetization and coercive force of MG were 6.4 emu/g and 198 Oe, respectively. After soaking in SBF for 14 days, hydroxyapatite containing CO(3)(2-) was observed on the surface of MG. The experiment of co-culturing cells with material showed that cells could successfully attach and well proliferate on MG.