Bioactivation of alumina by surface modification: a possibility for improving the applicability of alumina in bone and oral repair

In regenerative medicine, surface engineering of bioinert synthetic materials is often required in order to introduce bioactive species that can promote cell adhesion, proliferation, viability and enhanced ECM-secretion functions. The aim of this work is to study cell interaction with alumina-modified surfaces. In this work, chemical properties of alumina surface were changed by a reaction at the surface of alumina with low molecular weight dicarboxylic acid, which produced carboxyl groups. These carboxyl groups were able to complex with Ca2+ on the surface, forming sites of precipitation for calcium phosphates that make alumina biocompatible, as indicated by cell culture of pre-osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1 cell line). The procedure presented in this work shows that the insertion of specific functional groups on the surface of alumina increases cell interaction with the surface of alumina. This knowledge can be important in oral science and orthopedics, for the construction of prosthesis. To cite this article:Bertazzo S, Zambuzzi WF, da Silva HA, Ferreira CV, Bertran CA. Bioactivation of alumina by surface modification: a possibility for improving the applicability of alumina in bone and oral repair.Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 20, 2009; 288-293.doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0501.2008.01642.x.