Abstract
Thin films of binary C60/Ti composites, with various concentrations of Ti ranging from ~ 25% to ~ 70%, were deposited on microscopic glass coverslips and were tested for their potential use in bone tissue engineering as substrates for the adhesion and growth of bone cells. The novelty of this approach lies in the combination of Ti atoms (i.e., widely used biocompatible material for the construction of stomatological and orthopedic implants) with atoms of fullerene C60, which can act as very efficient radical scavengers. However, fullerenes and their derivatives are able to generate harmful reactive oxygen species and to have cytotoxic effects. In order to stabilize C60 molecules and to prevent their possible cytotoxic effects, deposition in the compact form of Ti/C60 composites (with various Ti concentrations) was chosen. The reactivity of C60/Ti composites may change in time due to the physicochemical changes of molecules in an air atmosphere. In this study, we therefore tested the dependence between the age of C60/Ti films (from one week to one year) and the adhesion, morphology, proliferation, viability, metabolic activity and potential DNA damage to human osteosarcoma cells (lines MG-63 and U-2 OS). After 7 days of cultivation, we did not observe any negative influence of fresh or aged C60/Ti layers on cell behavior, including the DNA damage response. The presence of Ti atoms resulted in improved properties of the C60 layers, which became more suitable for cell cultivation.
Highlights
Fullerenes are spheroidal hollow cage-like carbon nanoparticles with diverse biological activities
The examination of C60/Ti composites in this study showed no significant differences in cell adhesion and growth between the fresh and aged films
Our study has revealed that both fresh and aged C60/Ti composites are suitable substrates for the adhesion and growth of human bone cells
Summary
Fullerenes are spheroidal hollow cage-like carbon nanoparticles with diverse biological activities. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, e.g. the ability to withstand high temperatures and pressures, and the high reactivity of these nanoparticles, fullerenes are expected to have great potential in a wide range of fields including medicine. The high reactivity of these molecules has been explained by bending of sp2-hybridized carbon atoms, which produces angle strain, and by the presence of double bonds, which can react with radical species. Fullerenes C60 and their derivatives are considered to be the world’s most efficient radical. Fullerene C60 and its derivative fullerol has been reported to antagonize the oxidative stress generated by dexamethasone therapy, and to prevent osteonecrosis [3, 4]. Complexes of fullerenes with polyvinylpyrrolidone (with fullerene C60 as the major component) displayed photoprotective effects on keratinocytes against ultraviolet B irradiation [7]
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