Mechanisms of calcium phosphates formation on inorganic nanomaterials. A biomimetic synthetic route for multifunctional nanocomposites for hard tissue regeneration.

Project is funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, Grant HRZZ- IP-2018-01-1493

Population ageing and modern way of life lead to the increased frequency of chronical diseases. Among them, diseases affecting hard tissues (bone and teeth) attract special attention, since they are present in all age groups, significantly reduce patient quality of life and influence society in general. Frequently, the only possible treatment of such diseases is implantation of hard tissue implant materials with the aim to regenerate damaged or diseased tissue. In order to avoid two principle causes of implants failure, aseptic loosening and infection, as well as to prevent premature failure of the implant, a new, innovative implant materials are needed. The solution is sought in multifunctional materials, which in addition to replacing missing tissue or enabling its regeneration, as well as having improved mechanical properties, will act as local drug delivery system. Since no single material could satisfy all the conditions put on “ideal” material, the focus is turned to composite materials. In order for these materials to be functional and to rationalize their design, the interactions between their components should be understood. This, however, very often is not the case and success stories are often result of more empirical than a systematic approach.

New hard tissue regeneration biomaterials emerging in recent years are composite materials based on calcium phosphates (CaPs) and different inorganic nanomaterials (NMs). The aim of the proposed project is to systematically investigate the CaPs interactions with two types of inorganic NMs, namely:

  1. titanium dioxide NMs of different morphology (nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, nanoplates),
  2. silver nanoparticles of different surface modification (poly(vinylpyrrolidone), PVP; citrate, cit; sodium bis(2-ethyl-hexyl) sulfosuccinate, AOT)

in order to determine the relationship between NMs interface properties (surface modification, morphology, surface charge density, crystal structure) and the properties of forming CaPs solid phase at conditions close to physiological. In addition, the influence of biologically active molecules, albumin and chitosan, on the formation of CaP on NMs will be investigated. Albumin is one of three soluble proteins which are immediately adsorbed on the surface of the implant, influencing its in vivo performance. Chitosan is a polysaccharide, with antimicrobial activity, which also reduces Ag+ toxicity while retaining its antimicrobial activity. The potential for application of CaP/NMs composites in novel biomaterials development will be determined using standard immunocompatibility and hemocompatibility tests.

Obtained results will contribute to the better understanding of the CaP precipitation processes at nanosurfaces and at the nanoscale. The systematic variation of key NMs characteristics influencing the precipitation processes (morphology, surface composition and surface charge density) could enable a more rational approach to the design and biomimetic synthesis of biomaterials, but as well as to the understanding of precipitation processes in vivo. Since precipitation processes are underlying many industrial processes, the obtained results could also contribute to the development of novel synthetic routes and materials for different applications.

 

 

News

Article titled “Impact of TiO2 nanomaterials with different morphologies and their calcium phosphate composites on hemostasis and immunocompatibility” was accepted for publishing in Bulletin of Materials Science

The abstract of the paper is here: The increasing use of TiO2 nanomaterials (TiNMs) in bone tissue engineering raises concerns about their biocompatibility. To date, majority of biological testing was focused on the cytotoxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles and their composites. However, evaluation of immunocompatibility and effects on hemostasis is crucial for successful clinical applications of …

Paper titled “Comparison of bovine serum albumin and chitosan effect on calcium phosphate formation in the presence of silver nanoparticles” is accepted for publishing in RSC Advances

The paper is authored by: Suzana Inkret, Ina Erceg, Marija Ćurlin, Nikolina Kalčec, Nikolina Peranić, Ivana Vinković Vrček, Darija Domazet Jurašin and Maja Dutour Sikirić The article is available here: Comparison of bovine serum albumin and chitosan effects on calcium phosphate formation in the presence of silver nanoparticles – RSC Advances (RSC Publishing) Abstract: The …

Publication “Insight into the interactions of albumin with TiO2 nanomaterials and calcium phosphate-based biomaterials by kinetic adsorption and spectroscopic studies” was accepted to Journal of Molecular Liquids (IF 6.633)

This publication was authored by Ina Erceg, Vida Strasser, Nicolas Somers, Marta Jurković, Jasminka Kontrec, Damir Kralj, Rinea Barbir, Ivana Vinković Vrčeg, Marie Lasgorceix, Anne Leriche and Maja Dutour Sikirić as corresponding author. The abstract of the publication is as follows: Among key factors determining the fate of biomaterials in vivo are their interactions with …