title: Enzyme-based biosilica and biocalcite: biomaterials for the future in regenerative medicine.
abstract: The oldest animals on Earth, sponges, form both the calcareous and the siliceous matrices of their spicules enzymatically. Until recently, it has been neglected that enzymes play crucial roles during formation of these biominerals. This paradigm shift occurred after the discovery that the enzyme silicatein, which catalyzes the polycondensation of silica, and the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA), which catalyzes the formation of bicarbonate (HCO3(-)/CaCO3), produce solid amorphous bioglass or biocalcite. This suggests that in mammals, biosilica and biocalcite can act anabolically during hydroxyapatite (HA) synthesis and bone formation. Biosilica and biocalcite are thus promising candidates for the fabrication of biomaterials for regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: ERC Advanced Investigator Grant Research Group, Institute for Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55128 Mainz, Germany. Electronic address: wang013@uni-mainz.de.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: ERC Advanced Investigator Grant Research Group, Institute for Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Heinz C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.affiliation: ERC Advanced Investigator Grant Research Group, Institute for Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55128 Mainz, Germany. Electronic address: wmueller@uni-mainz.de.
authors.forename: Werner E G
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases / Q000378:metabolism; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism; D005898:Glass; D008322:Mammals; D011161:Porifera / Q000201:enzymology; D044968:Regenerative Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; C112571:silicatein alpha; C120461:sodium oxide-calcium oxide-silicon dioxide-diphosphorus pentoxide; D002403:Cathepsins; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases; D002119:Calcium Carbonate
keywords: biocalcite; biomineralization; biosilica; enzymes; regenerative medicine; sponges