Advances in ion-doping of Ca-Mg silicate bioceramics for bone tissue engineering

TL;DR

This paper reviews how ion-doping enhances the mechanical and biological properties of Ca-Mg silicate bioceramics, making them more effective for bone tissue engineering applications.

Contribution

It consolidates recent research on ion-doping strategies to improve Ca-Mg silicates, highlighting optimal dopants and concentrations for superior bone substitute performance.

Findings

Ion-doping improves mechanical strength and bioactivity.

Optimal dopant selection enhances osteogenic and angiogenic properties.

Doped Ca-Mg silicates can outperform traditional bioceramics like calcium phosphates.

Abstract

The use of bioceramics as hard tissue substitutes is extensive due to their excellent biocompatible and osteogenic behaviors. Among various bioceramics, Ca-Mg silicates are unique from the viewpoints of osteoinductive and mechanical properties, as well as their outstanding osteoconductive and angiogenic behaviors owing to the release of Si, Ca and Mg. Despite these distinct advantages, different compositions of these bioceramics still require mechanical and biological enhancements for further applications. For this purpose, doping with some ions like F-, Sr2+, Cu2+, Eu2+, Ba+, Ce3+ and some alkali cations has been proved to be a valued approach. This review attempts to bring together areas for the performance improvement of the further researched Ca-Mg silicates (i.e., diopside, akermanite, bredigite and monticellite) and the alteration of these compositions via ion-doping. It is concluded that a correct choice of dopants incorporated at the optimal concentration makes these silicates ideal bone substitutes competing or even superior to calcium phosphates (apatites) and bioglasses which are known as the most prominent bioceramics.