Bioglasses: glasses for medical applications
Gigliola Lusvardi*, Gianluca Malavasi, Ledi Menabue, M.Cristina Menziani, Alfonso Pedone
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G.Campi 183 41125 Modena (Italy).
Corresponding Author gigliola.lusvardi@unimore.it
Bioglasses are glasses with bioactive characteristics and are used in medical applications since, opportunely designed, are able to promote the growing of bone tissue on their surface. Their activity (bioactivity) starts with a surface degradation process then it continues with a formation of a silica gel surface layer on which takes place the precipitation of an amorphous calcium-phosphate layer.
The first and well studied bioglass was the Bioglass®45S5 (Na2O•1.1CaO•0.1P2O5•1.9SiO2). [1]
Knowing that by varying the chemical nature and the concentration of the glasses constituents new important properties can be added, the composition of reference glass has been modified by the addition of zinc, cerium, gallium oxides and calcium fluoride. In this way, new bioactive glasses are obtained with also the possibility to give rise to a controlled release of species of biological interest. [2,3,4]
Moreover, a significant improvement in the prevision of the glass bioactivity and of the structural role of the glass constituents derives from the opportunity to establish semi-quantitative or semi-quantitative relationships between structure and properties by making a combined use of theoretical (Molecular Dynamics simulation) and experimental techniques. [5]
Bioactive glasses have also proven to be effective in drug delivering as well as to immobilize biomolecules with a specific action.
Particularly, sol-gel derived glasses can be considered good candidates as drug delivery systems (DDS). [6] Ternary sol-gel glasses (15CaO•5P2O5•80SiO2), functionalized with
gold, copper nanoparticles (AuNPs, CuNPs), can carry a double function: favour the repair of bone tissues and a specific release of selected biomolecules in the human body site. [7,8] It has also been demonstrated that the introduction of AuNPs in a bioactive sol-gel glass allowed to immobilize an enzyme on the glass surface through the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), in order to obtain a stable bio-conjugate useful as a material bio-implantable into the human body.[9]
[1]Hench, J.Am.Ceram. Soc. 1998, 81, 1705
[2] C.Leonelli, G.Lusvardi, G.Malavasi, L.Menabue, M.Tonelli, 2003, J.Non-Cryst. Solids, 316, 198.
[3]G.Lusvardi, G.Malavasi, L.Menabue, M.C.Menziani, U.Segre, M.M. Carnasciali, A. Ubaldini, 2004, J.Non Cryst. Solids, 345, 710
[4] L. Linati, G.Lusvardi, G. Malavasi, L.Menabue, M.C. Menziani, P. Mustarelli, A. Pedone, U.Segre, 2008, J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 354, 84.
[5]G.Lusvardi, G. Malavasi, F. Tarsitano, L. Menabue, M.C. Menziani, A, Pedone, 2009, J. Phys. Chem. B,
113,10331
[6] S.Shruti, A. Salinas, L. Menabue, G. Lusvardi, G. Malavasi C Ferrara, P. Mustarelli M. Vallet Regi, 2012, J. of Mat.Chem, 22, 13698
[7] G. Lusvardi; G.Malavasi, L. Menabue, V.Aina, L. Bertinetti, G. Cerrato, C.Morterra, Langmuir, 2010, 26, 10303
[8] A. Bonici, G. Lusvardi, G. Malavasi, Ledi Menabue, A. Piva, 2012, J. Eur.Cer. Soc, 32, 2777
[9]Aina V, Ghigo D, Marchis T, Cerrato G Laurenti E, Diana E, Morterra C, Malavasi G, Lusvardi G, Menabue L, Bergandi L. J. Mater. Chem. 2011, 21, 10970
