Ioana-Teodora Bogdan

Visiting student (Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania)

Topic: Effect of bovine serum albumin on the bioactive behavior of bioactive glass scaffolds

Supervisors:  Ms. Arango Ospina, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Tissue engineering is one of the advanced science fields which uses temporary tridimensional porous structures, called scaffolds, to support the human body to heal itself [1]. Biomaterials such as bioactive glasses (BGs) are used for this purpose due to their properties like biodegradability, biocompatibility, and bioactivity [2]. In vitro, these properties are usually assessed by immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for different time periods and measuring the formation of the apatite layer formed on the BG surface. However, this process has been shown to be affected by macromolecular compounds found in human plasma, such as serum proteins [3]. In this project, we aim to produce 45S5 bioactive glass scaffolds via the foam replica technique, and assess the effects of SBF with different protein concentrations on their bioactivity. The scaffolds will be characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).

[1] Gerhardt, Lutz-Christian, et al. “The pro-angiogenic properties of multi-functional bioactive glass composite scaffolds.” Biomaterials 32.17 (2011): 4096-4108.

[2] Schatkoski, Vanessa Modelski, et al. “Current advances concerning the most cited metal ions doped bioceramics and silicate-based bioactive glasses for bone tissue engineering.” Ceramics International 47.3 (2021): 2999-3012.

[3] Lin, Sen, and Julian R. Jones. “The effect of serum proteins on apatite growth for 45S5 Bioglass and common sol-gel derived glass in SBF.” Biomedical glasses 4.1 (2018): 13-20.