SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND BIO-EVALUATION OF BIOACTIVE COMPOSITES SCAFFOLDS BASED ON COLLAGEN AND GLASS CERAMIC.

In this work, we report on the preparation and characterization of collagen-glass ceramic composites. The materials used for obtaining collagen-glass ceramic composites were collagen type I (Coll) as bioresorbable polymer and glass ceramic (GC) from CaO-SiO2-P2O5 system as bioactive material. After incorporation of GC into Coll in different ratios (Coll/GC ratio was 25/75 wt% and 75/25 wt%) and freeze-drying of them, the obtained composite materials (Coll/GC) can be used, according to our results, as potential composite scaffold for bone tissue engineering. Coll/GC composite biocompatibility, assessed by an in-vitro test (SBF soaking for a period of 14 days, at a temperature of 37°C) and cytotoxicity of these on endothelial cells, was very good. The collagen-glass ceramic composites were characterized from the point of view of their mineralogical composition (by XRD) and morphology (by SEM). At the surface of the specimens soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) for a period of 14 days, at a temperature of 37°C was observed the formation of mainly hydroxiapatite with a spherical morphology. Furthermore, the biocompatibility assays show that these collagen-glass ceramic composites are suitable for tissue engineering. Fluorescent microscopy of endothelial cells after 5 days in culture with this scaffolds revealed a great viability, also confirmed by the measurements of metabolic activity of endothelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]