Strontium-releasing mesoporous bioactive glasses with anti-adhesive zwitterionic surface as advanced biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration

TL;DR

This study develops strontium-releasing mesoporous bioactive glasses with zwitterionic surfaces that promote bone regeneration while reducing bacterial adhesion and protein fouling, offering a promising advanced biomaterial for bone tissue repair.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel zwitterionic surface modification of Sr-MBG that maintains bioactivity and enhances anti-adhesive properties, advancing biomaterials for bone regeneration.

Findings

Zwitterionic Sr-MBG retains bioactivity and Sr2+ release capacity.

No cytotoxicity observed up to 75 ug/mL.

Significant reduction in serum protein adhesion.

Abstract

Hypothesis The treatment of bone fractures still represents a challenging clinical issue when complications due to impaired bone remodelling (i.e. osteoporosis) or infections occur. These clinical needs still require a radical improvement of the existing therapeutic approach through the design of advanced biomaterials combining the ability to promote bone regeneration with anti-fouling/anti-adhesive properties able to minimise unspecific biomolecules adsorption and bacterial adhesion. Strontium-containing mesoporous bioactive glasses (Sr-MBG), able to exert a pro-osteogenic effect by releasing Sr2+ ions, have been successfully functionalised to provide mixed-charge surface groups with low-fouling abilities. Experiments Sr-MBG have been post-synthesis modified by co-grafting hydrolysable short chain silanes containing amino (aminopropylsilanetriol) and carboxylate (carboxyethylsilanetriol) moieties to achieve a zwitterionic zero-charge surface and then characterised in terms of textural-structural properties, bioactivity, cytotoxicity, pro-osteogenic and low-fouling capabilities. Findings After zwitterionization the in vitro bioactivity is maintained, as well as the ability to release Sr2+ ions capable to induce a mineralization process. Irrespective of their size, Sr-MBG particles did not exhibit any cytotoxicity in pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 up to the concentration of 75 ug/mL. Finally, the zwitterionic Sr-MBGs show a significant reduction of serum protein adhesion with respect to pristine ones. These results open promising future expectations in the design of nanosystems combining pro-osteogenic and anti-adhesive properties.