Eugenia Plaza Pujol

Visiting student (University Francisco de Vitoria, Spain)

Development and characterization of hydrogels with metal-doped bioactive glass nanoparticles

 

Supervisors: Marina Marić, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

This project aims to develop and characterize hydrogels incorporating borate mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs) doped with metal ions, intended for bone tissue applications. Incorporating MBGNs into natural hydrogels enhances bioactivity, antimicrobial properties, and potential for tissue regeneration [1,2]. Borate bioactive glasses show faster degradation and improved bioactivity compared to silicate glasses [3]. Doping bioactive glass nanoparticles with therapeutic metal ions enhances their antibacterial, angiogenic, and bioactive properties, optimizing their performance for bone regeneration. The final goal is to create multifunctional biomaterials suitable for bone tissue engineering and other biomedical applications.

[1] Fu, Qiang, et al. “Silicate, Borosilicate, and Borate Bioactive Glass Scaffolds with Controllable Degradation Rate for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications. I. Preparation and in Vitro Degradation.” Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 95A, 2010, 164–171. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.32824.

[2]Baino, Francesco, et al. “Bioactive Glasses: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?” Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 9, 2018, 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb9010025.

[3] Ege, D., et al., Borate Bioactive Glasses (BBG): Bone Regeneration, Wound Healing Applications, and Future Directions, ACS Appl. Bio Mater. 5, 2022, 3608–3622 .