Cytocompatibility studies of titania-doped calcium borosilicate bioactive glasses in-vitro

- A tailor-made composition of TiO2 doped borosilicate glasses was synthesized.
- TiO2 doped borosilicate glasses are bioactive and cytocompatible.
- Degradation rate is reduced by the addition of TiO2 content.
- Immunoblotting studies demonstrated that no significant change in cyclin levels.

The present study aims to elucidate the applications of Titania (TiO2) doped calcium borosilicate glass as a biocompatible material in regenerative orthopedic applications. In this context, we have examined the bioactivity of various concentrations of TiO2 doped glasses with the help of simulated body fluid (SBF). Cytocompatibility, cell proliferation, and protein expression studies revealed the potential candidature of TiO2 doped glasses on osteoblast cell lines (MG-63). We hypothesized that TiO2 doped calcium borosilicate glasses are most cytocompatible material for bone implants. Glasses with composition 31B2O3-20SiO2-24.5Na2O-(24.5 − x) CaO- x TiO2 (x = 0,0.5,1,2) have been prepared by the conventional melt-quenching technique. After immersion of glasses in the SBF, formation of hydroxyapatite layer on the surface was confirmed by X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis. Significant change in the pH of the body fluid was observed with the addition of titania. Degradation test was performed as per the ISO 10993. The results showed that partial substitution of TiO2 with CaO negatively influenced bioactivity; it decreased with increase in concentration of TiO2. Vickers hardness tester was used to measure the microhardness values of the prepared glasses. With the increasing of TiO2 content, the microhardness of the glass samples was increased from 545 Hv to 576 Hv. Cytocompatibility has been evaluated with MG-63 cells by using MTT assay. Further, we observed that there was no change in expressions of cyclin levels even after the incorporation of titania. The antibacterial properties were examined against E. coli and S. aureus. Strong antibacterial efficacy was observed for 2% TiO2 in the system. Hence it can be concluded that titania-doped borosilicate glasses may be used as potential materials in bone tissue engineering.