Preparation and in vitro evaluation of Lithium-doped bioactive glasses for wound healing with nerve repair potential

Abstract

Extensive burns are one of the most devastating injuries often accompanied with nerves damage, which may cause sensory disturbance. Considering the bioactivity of bioactive glasses (BG) and lithium, the neuroprotective Li was incorporated into BG and Li-BG with different contents of Li2O were prepared aiming at achieving nerve repair and angiogenesis simultaneously. Li-BG could release bioactive Li and Si ions constantly and the release rate of Li and Si ions could be regulated through the doping amounts of Li2O in Li-BG. The extracts of Li-BG at proper dilution ratio could promote the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and schwann cells (SC) simultaneously and Li-BG extracts with appropriate concentrations of Li and Si ions could significantly promote the migration of SC compared with single Li and Si ions. The present study suggested that Li-BG may be used as a bioactive dressing for severe burns to achieve rapid wound healing with functional recovery of cutaneous sensory perception.