Shape vs. Chemistry: Creating natural and artificial bone biomatrices using ceramic nanoparticle-cell composites

摘要

Ceramic nanoparticles are currently being investigated and used for a variety of biomaterial applications, including both bone repair or as an antibiotic material. However, the influence nanoparticle composition and physical parameters such as nanoparticle shape4 on bone cell (osteoblast) cell proliferation, differentiation and cell matrix quality and development has not, as yet, been thoroughly investigated. The hypothesis of this study was that 'rounded' shapes composed of biocompatible ceramics would have less cytotoxicity and induce better stem cell extracellular matrix (ECM) growth and differentiation compared to nanoparticles with 'sharper' edges, which have been shown previously to 'puncture' cells5 . Such nanoparticle-cell-biomatrix composites may have useful applications in understanding in vitro nanoparticle behaviour as well as applications in bone tissue engineering.