"Applications of Bioactive Glass in Tissue Engineering"

Abstract

Bioactive glasses (BIO) have gained ground in the field of biomedicine science due to their ability to enhance osteogenesis and angiogenesis. Bioactive glasses were first introduced by Hench and his collaborators in the late 1960s. The 45S5 Bioglass (SiO-CaO-Na2O-P2O5) was the first artificial inorganic material that was able to connected to the living bone to create a stable and tight connected interface. By mixing different percentages of these four oxides, several types of bioactive glasses have been developed to improve their intrinsic properties. Other oxides may also be added to provide specific therapeutic actions.

One of the challenges in tissue engineering is growing new ones bioactive materials that present important properties such as biodegradation, osteoconductivity, controlled degradation and so on combine with natural or synthetic polymers which will provide easier handling of the composite material as well as the ability to administer drugs. It is therefore of utmost importance to develop bioactive scaffolds glasses that will be able to degrade in a controlled manner and form a layer of calcium phosphate that will allow adhesion, the cell proliferation and differentiation. These scaffolds should have mechanical properties similar to those of the tissue to be replace and have sufficient porosity for cell migration and angiogenesis. It is unlikely that a single material will solve this challenge engineering.

The purpose of this master's thesis is to analyze the role and impact of bioactive glasses in tissue engineering applications.

TASIOU Kalipso