title: Conversion of borate-based glass scaffold to hydroxyapatite in a dilute phosphate solution.
abstract: Porous scaffolds of a borate-based glass (composition in mol%: 6Na2O, 8K2O, 8MgO, 22CaO, 36B2O3, 18SiO2, 2P2O5), with interconnected porosity of approximately 70% and pores of size 200-500 microm, were prepared by a polymer foam replication technique. The degradation of the scaffolds and conversion to a hydroxyapatite-type material in a 0.02 M K2HPO4 solution (starting pH = 7.0) at 37 degrees C were studied by measuring the weight loss of the scaffolds, as well as the pH and the boron concentration of the solution. X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis showed that a hydroxyapatite-type material was formed on the glass surface within 7 days of immersion in the phosphate solution. Cellular response to the scaffolds was assessed using murine MLO-A5 cells, an osteogenic cell line. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the scaffolds supported cell attachment and proliferation during the 6 day incubation. The results indicate that this borate-based glass could provide a promising degradable scaffold material for bone tissue engineering applications.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioengineering and Information Technology Materials, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China. tsliuxin@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Haobo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Hailuo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Mohamed N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Rahaman
authors.forename: Wenhai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D001881:Borates / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry*; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D001881:Borates; D010710:Phosphates; D012996:Solutions; D017886:Durapatite