NBC-ReGen4 · Nanostructured & Biomimetic Ceramic-Polymer Composites for Bone Tissue Regeneration

Nanostructured & Biomimetic Ceramic-Polymer Composites for Bone Tissue Regeneration

Today, there is no doubt that small-scale (nano-) complex materials made up of distinct components (composites) may, if prepared correctly, show substantially improved properties that offer several potential advantages related to their clinical application in medicine and dental surgery. Published data reports the superior properties of nano-composites and explain why interactions at the nano-scale are responsible for observed differences when compared to large-scale (macro- and micro-) composites. Despite this growing evidence base, very few nano-materials have been placed on the market as medical devices for the repair of human tissues, such as restorative dental fillings where it was reported they provide superior properties and good wear characteristics. In NBC-ReGen4 project, we proposed the development of an innovative not-biological and biodegradable nano-composite as a valuable new technological approach that offers great potential as a platform for new commercial product development. These innovative composites, based on combinations of nanoscale bioceramic particles with synthetic polymers will: (1) eliminate the risk of disease transmission associated with existing collagen-based devices and scaffolds, (2) offer opportunities to tailor the material properties - including its biodegradation characteristics - to a given clinical situation, (3) enable fabrication of complex layered structures with an optimized bone-facing surface, and finally (4) be more appropriate for use in countries and cultures where implantation of animal-derived products is undesirable. In addition to developing new materials technologies for medical devices, the scientific and technological elements of this programme have wider medical applications, for example in the fabrication of scaffolds for skeletal tissue engineering and in particular in guided bone regeneration. Different bioresorbable membrane products are available on the market such as Guidor® Matrix Barrier, Resolut® and Epi-Guide ® Bioresorbable Barrier Matrix which are layered membranes based on synthetic polymers. Their main drawbacks of these products are related to the lack of functionalities stimulating bone regeneration and wound healing, and exerting antimicrobial activity. Therefore the absorbable functionalised multilayered membranes developed in NBC-ReGen4 (1) represent highly innovative products with a minimal rise in the product costs to allow their rapid spread on the market, and (2) are of tremendous potential benefit to the European medical device and health technology business sector. In the details, crucial activity of the project was the membrane surface modification in order to enhance the biomimetic and anti-inflammatory properties by low-risk and environmentally friendly techniques (characterised by room temperature processing and low-cost manufacturing). The compact layer, in contact to soft tissue, was modified by layer-by-layer technique to obtain nano-scale layers, in which incorporate the metronidazole, a common antibiotic used in the periodontitis treatment preventing bacterial colonization. The biocompatibility was successfully evaluated in vitro with soft tissue cells and the antibacterial properties were demonstrated successfully against the keystone periodontal bacteria. On the other hand, the porous membrane in contact to bone were modified successfully by specific chemical reaction to incorporate specific bone peptide sequences able to enhance successfully the formation of new bone.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union