IJD ability to conserve stoichiometry and to fine tune surface morphology has been exploited in various research works by the biotechnology laboratories of the orthopedic excellence center Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli (Bologna, Italy).
IJD stoichiometry conservation ability has been exploited for example in a very innovative way using properly treated animal bones as a material source to create bone apatite-like (BAL) coatings to promote osseointegration of orthopedic and dentistry implants. The resulting morphology of BAL films appears very close to that of natural apatite, the composition closely resembles the one of the starting natural apatite target.
In other recent research IJD have been successfully employed to produce nanostructured antibacterial and bioactive thin films of silver-substituted tricalcium phosphate (Ag-TCP) on titanium with both osteointegration and antimicrobial function.
Another successful approach employs IJD pure metal (Ag,Zn,Cu) nanostructured films with Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity [8,9].
A completely green solution to antibacterial coatings has been found recently. IOR researchers investigated the possibility of using a natural fluorapatite-based material, the Lingula anatina shell, resembling the composition of bone and enamel, as a source of biomaterial for orthopaedics and dentistry. In fact, L. anatina shell, due to its unique process and conditions of mineralization, is one of the few natural apatite-based shells and naturally contains ions with potential antibacterial activity, i.e. fluorine and zinc. Again, they used IJD technology to deposit thin layers when it best preserves the composition of the deposited material.
The results confirmed the expectations – Lingula shell-based coatings are non-cytotoxic and have strong antimicrobial ability, especially against Gram-positive strains [10].
For more details:
[10] Gabriela Graziani, Daniele Ghezzi, Fabio Nudelman, Enrico Sassoni, Fraser Laidlaw, Martina Cappelletti, Marco Boi, Giorgia Borciani, Silvia Milita, Michele Bianchi, Nicola Baldini, Giuseppe Falini
A natural biogenic fluorapatite as a new biomaterial for orthopedics and dentistry: antibacterial activity of lingula seashell and its use for nanostructured biomimetic coatings
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024,12, 2083-2098
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3TB02454G
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Abstract
Calcium phosphates are widely studied in orthopedics and dentistry, to obtain biomimetic and antibacterial implants. However, the multi-substituted composition of mineralized tissues is not fully reproducible from synthetic procedures. Here, for the first time, we investigate the possible use of a natural, fluorapatite-based material, i.e., Lingula anatina seashell, resembling the composition of bone and enamel, as a biomaterial source for orthopedics and dentistry. Indeed, thanks to its unique mineralization process and conditions, L. anatina seashell is among the few natural apatite-based shells, and naturally contains ions having possible antibacterial efficacy, i.e., fluorine and zinc. After characterization, we explore its deposition by ionized jet deposition (IJD), to obtain nanostructured coatings for implantable devices. For the first time, we demonstrate that L. anatina seashells have strong antibacterial properties. Indeed, they significantly inhibit planktonic growth and cell adhesion of both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. The two strains show different susceptibility to the mineral and organic parts of the seashells, the first being more susceptible to zinc and fluorine in the mineral part, and the second to the organic (chitin-based) component. Upon deposition by IJD, all films exhibit a nanostructured morphology and sub-micrometric thickness. The multi-doped, complex composition of the target is maintained in the coating, demonstrating the feasibility of deposition of coatings starting from biogenic precursors (seashells). In conclusion, Lingula seashell-based coatings are non-cytotoxic with strong antimicrobial capability, especially against Gram-positive strains, consistently with their higher susceptibility to fluorine and zinc. Importantly, these properties are improved compared to synthetic fluorapatite, showing that the films are promising for antimicrobial applications.
[9] Ghezzi, D.; Sassoni, E.; Boi, M.; Montesissa, M.; Baldini, N.; Graziani, G.; Cappelletti, M.
Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Nanostructured Copper Films Prepared by Ionized Jet Deposition.
Antibiotics 2023, 12, 55.
doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12010055
[8] Ghezzi, D., Boi, M., Sassoni, E. et al.
Customized biofilm device for antibiofilm and antibacterial screening of newly developed nanostructured silver and zinc coatings.
J Biol Eng 17, 18 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13036-023-00326-y
[7] Electrospun fibers coated with nanostructured biomimetic hydroxyapatite: A new platform for regeneration at the bone interfaces,
Gemma Di Pompo, Anna Liguori, Martina Carlini, Sofia Avnet, Marco Boi, Nicola Baldini, Maria Letizia Focarete, Michele Bianchi, Chiara Gualandi, Gabriela Graziani,
Biomaterials Advances, Volume 144, 2023, 213231,
ISSN 2772-9508,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213231.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772950822005088
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Abstract
Abstract: Reconstruction of gradient organic/inorganic tissues is a challenging task in orthopaedics. Indeed, to mimic tissue characteristics and stimulate bone regeneration at the interface, it is necessary to reproduce both the mineral and organic components of the tissue ECM, as well as the micro/nano-fibrous morphology. To address this goal, we propose here novel biomimetic patches obtained by the combination of electrospinning and nanostructured bone apatite. In particular, we deposited apatite on the electrospun fibers by Ionized Jet Deposition, a plasma-assisted technique that allows conformal deposition and the preservation in the coating of the target’s stoichiometry. The damage to the substrate and fibrous morphology is a polymer-dependent aspect, that can be avoided by properly selecting the substrate composition and deposition parameters. In fact, all the tested polymers (poly(l-lactide), poly(D,l-lactide-co-glycolide, poly(ε-caprolactone), collagen) were effectively coated, and the morphological and thermal characterization revealed that poly(ε-caprolactone) suffered the least damage. The coating of collagen fibers, on the other hand, destroyed the fiber morphology and it could only be performed when collagen is blended with a more resistant synthetic polymer in the nanofibers. Due to the biomimetic composition and multiscale morphology from micro to nano, the poly(ε-caprolactone)-collagen biomimetic patches coated with bone apatite supported MSCs adhesion, patch colonization and early differentiation, while allowing optimal viability. The biomimetic coating allowed better scaffold colonization, promoting cell spreading on the fibers.
Keywords: Nanostructured coatings; Electrospinning; Biomimetism; Bone regeneration; Bio-interfaces
[6] Gianluca Vadalà, Martina Cappelletti, Francesco Valle, Nicola Baldini, Julietta V. Rau,
Ionized jet deposition of antimicrobial and stem cell friendly silver-substituted tricalcium phosphate nanocoatings on titanium alloy,
Bioactive Materials, Volume 6, Issue 8, 2021, Pages 2629-2642,
ISSN 2452-199X,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.12.019.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452199X20303418
[5] Maria Sartori, Gabriela Graziani, Enrico Sassoni, Stefania Pagani, Marco Boi, Maria Cristina Maltarello, Nicola Baldini, Milena Fini
Nanostructure and biomimetics orchestrate mesenchymal stromal cell differentiation: An in vitro bioactivity study on new coatings for orthopedic applications,
Materials Science and Engineering: C, Volume 123, 2021,
112031, ISSN 0928-4931,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2021.112031
[4][ Liguori, A.; Gualandi, C.; Focarete, M.L.; Biscarini, F.; Bianchi, M.
The Pulsed Electron Deposition Technique for Biomedical Applications: A Review.
Coatings 2020, 10, 16.
https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10010016
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/10/1/16
[3] G. Pagnotta, G. Graziani, N. Baldini, A. Maso, M.L. Focarete, M. Berni, F. Biscarini, M. Bianchi, C. Gualandi
Nanodecoration of electrospun polymeric fibers with nanostructured silver coatings by ionized jet deposition for antibacterial tissues, Materials Science and Engineering C 113 (2020): 110998
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2020.110998
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092849312030686X
[2] A. Gambardella, M. Berni, G. Graziani, A. Kovtun, A. Liscio, A. Russo, A. Visani, M. Bianchi,
Nanostructured Ag thin films deposited by pulsed electron ablation, Applied Surface Science 475 (2019): 917-925.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.01.035
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169433219300467?via%3Dihub
[1] M. Bianchi, A. Gambardella, G. Graziani, F. Liscio, M. Cristina Maltarello, M. Boi, M. Berni, D. Bellucci, G. Marchiori, F. Valle, A. Russo, M. Marcacci
Plasma-assisted deposition of bone apatite-like thin films from natural apatite
Materials Letters 2017,
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2017.04.005
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167577X17305414
For more information on this deposition process contact the authors or write to info@noivion.com