Controlling porous titanium/soft tissue interactions with an innovative surface chemical treatment: Responses of macrophages and fibroblasts.

In this study, we present a controlled oxidation-based surface treatment of microbead-based porous titanium implants which not only increases the colonization by connective tissue cells but also decreases the macrophage attachment. The treatment created a nanotextured surface on the implants with an acidic shift of isoelectric point (from 4.09 to 3.09) without endangering implant's mechanical integrity. The attachment and metabolic activity of activated macrophages were significantly lower on treated surfaces with an increase in the secretion of anti-inflammatory IL-1RA and a decrease in pro-fibrotic CCL-18. Human fibroblasts proliferated faster on the treated surfaces over 14 days with near complete colonization of the whole thickness of the implant with an accompanying an increase in the secretion of TGF-beta. The surface treated samples demonstrated partial filling of the entire pores. We demonstrated that the use of nanoscale surface treatments that can be applied to the whole internal surface of porous titanium implants can significantly alter both the immune response and the colonization of the implants and can be used to fine-tune and personalize implant interfaces according to patient needs. PMID: 32409027 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Appl Human Sci - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl Source Type: research