Nanostructured monticellite: An emerging player in tissue engineering

Optimization of Metal Ion/Fuel Ratio for an Effective Combustion of Monticellite and Investigation of Its Microbial and Hemolytic Activity for Biomedical Applications

Bioactive silicates have gained popularity as bone graft substitutes in recent years due to their exceptional ability to bind to host tissues. The current study investigates the effect of changing the metal ion-to-fuel ratio on the properties and biological activity of monticellite prepared via the sol-gel connived combustion technique. Single-phasic monticellite was obtained at 900 °C, without any secondary-phase contaminants for the fuel-lean, stoichiometric, and fuel-rich conditions. SEM and TEM micrographs revealed the porous, spongy morphology of the materials. Because of the reduced crystallite size and higher surface area, the biomineralization of monticellite prepared under fuel-lean conditions resulted in more apatite deposition than those of the other two samples. The results show that the material has a good compressive strength comparable to natural bone, while its brittleness is equivalent to the lower moduli of bone. In terms of antibacterial and antifungal activities, the monticellite bioceramics outperformed the clinical pathogens. It can be used for bone tissue engineering and other biological applications due to its excellent anti-inflammatory and hemolysis inhibitory properties.

Generation of a Porous Scaffold with a Starting Composition in the CaO–SiO2–MgO–P2O5 System in a Simulated Physiological Environment

Magnesium-based ceramics are involved in orthopedic applications such as bone scaffolds or implant coatings. They provide structural support to cells for bone ingrowth, but highly porous matrices cannot resist severe mechanical stress during implantation. In this study, the laser floating zone (LFZ) technique is used to prepare a dense crystalline material with composition in the CaO–SiO2–MgO–P2O5 system. This material, under physiological conditions, is able to generate a porous scaffold controlled by the dissolution of the MgO phase, meeting the mechanical advantages of a dense material and the biological features of a porous scaffold. FESEM (Field emission scanning electron microscopy), XRD (X-ray Diffraction), EDS (Energy Dispersive X-rays spectroscopy), and ICP ((Inductively Coupled Plasma) analysis were carried out in order to characterize the samples before and after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF).

Bone tissue regeneration: biology, strategies and interface studies

Nowadays, bone diseases and defects as a result of trauma, cancers, infections and degenerative and inflammatory conditions are increasing. Consequently, bone repair and replacement have been developed with improvement of orthopedic technologies and biomaterials of superior properties. This review paper is intended to sum up and discuss the most relevant studies performed in the field of bone biology and bone regeneration approaches. Therefore, the bone tissue regeneration was investigated by synthetic substitutes, scaffolds incorporating active molecules, nanomedicine, cell-based products, biomimetic fibrous and nonfibrous substitutes, biomaterial-based three-dimensional (3D) cell-printing substitutes, bioactive porous polymer/inorganic composites, magnetic field and nano-scaffolds with stem cells and bone-biomaterials interface studies.