Abstract
Titanium (Ti) is an osteoconductive material that is routinely used as a bulk implant to fix and restore bones and teeth. This study explored the effective use of Ti as a bone engineering scaffold. Challenges to overcome were: (1) difficult liquid/cell infiltration into Ti microfiber scaffolds due to the hydrophobic nature of Ti; and (2) difficult cell attachment on thin and curved Ti microfibers. A recent discovery of UV-photofunctionalization of Ti prompted us to examine its effect on Ti microfiber scaffolds. Scaffolds in disk form were made by weaving grade 4 pure Ti microfibers (125 µm diameter) and half of them were acid-etched to roughen the surface. Some of the scaffolds with original or acid-etched surfaces were further treated by UV light before cell culture. Ti microfiber scaffolds, regardless of the surface type, were hydrophobic and did not allow glycerol/water liquid to infiltrate, whereas, after UV treatment, the scaffolds became hydrophilic and immediately absorbed the liquid. Osteogenic cells from two different origins, derived from the femoral and mandibular bone marrow of rats, were cultured on the scaffolds. The number of cells attached to scaffolds during the early stage of culture within 24 h was 3–10 times greater when the scaffolds were treated with UV. The development of cytoplasmic projections and cytoskeletal, as well as the expression of focal adhesion protein, were exclusively observed on UV-treated scaffolds. Osteoblastic functional phenotypes, such as alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium mineralization, were 2–15 times greater on UV-treated scaffolds, with more pronounced enhancement on acid-etched scaffolds compared to that on the original scaffolds. These effects of UV treatment were associated with a significant reduction in atomic carbon on the Ti microfiber surfaces. In conclusion, UV treatment of Ti microfiber scaffolds tunes their physicochemical properties and effectively enhances the attachment and function of osteoblasts, proposing a new strategy for bone engineering.
Highlights
Osseointegration of titanium (Ti) materials has been widely utilized in the dental and orthopedic fields
The present results reveal that UV treatment enhanced osteoblast behavior in Ti microfiber scaffolds and that acid etching treatment has advantages for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization, which were more prominent by further UV treatment
We previously reported that UV treatment removed hydrocarbons that had accumulated on the Ti surface, which dramatically reduced the amount of carbon on the surface [6,17]
Summary
Osseointegration of titanium (Ti) materials has been widely utilized in the dental and orthopedic fields. A thin Ti microfiber mesh scaffold is an osteoconductive material that can potentially be used as a reconstruction device for bone [1,2]. These materials are non-absorbable and can be processed into any desired shape. They are expected to be useful three-dimensional scaffolds for bone reconstruction. Photofunctionalized dental implants improved a risk of early failure [12] and promised faster and stable osseointegration even in extremely poor conditions [13]
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