Composites based on carbon nanostructures: an application in nanobiotechnology osteogenesis

• Grant number: 11/22232-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2012
• End date: June 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Pietro Ciancaglini
• Grantee: Pietro Ciancaglini
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The accumulation of mineral composed primarily of calcium and phosphate ions to form a calcium phosphate salt, forming hydroxyapatite crystals, is what we call the biomineralization process. The ossification process mediated by osteoblasts (during formation of flat bones) or by odontoblasts (during formation of teeth) is clearly distinct from that which occurs in the calcification of epiphyseal cartilage (from a cartilage model), which is mediated by hypertrophic chondrocytes. The nature of the cells of the protein matrix and the interaction between the mineral deposition and protein matrix is clearly different. Nevertheless, in all these systems, one common factor is the viability of the mineralization process and many biochemical mechanisms of formation of the first minerals are very similar to each other and catalyzed by common enzymes. The discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the past decade has opened new frontiers for the field of nanotechnology and nanoscience. Later, this new type of nanostructure was combined with proteins and natural products, including nucleic acids and polysaccharides, thus initiating the compatibility studies of these structures with biological systems. However, for a new material to be incorporated into biomedical applications, it is required a complete assessment of possible damage that it may have on living organisms, making it extremely necessary to investigate the toxicity and biocompatibility of the material in a biological environment. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of CNTs have been extensively evaluated by several research groups, which conduct both "in vitro" and "in vivo" studies. Thus, we intend to analyze the behavior of carbon nanostructures deposited (or not) on the surface of titanium used in prostheses for cell biostimulation studies. It may also be assessed the modulation of alkaline phosphatase activity (with phospholipids as vehicle and/or combined with other enzymes) on the modified surface in order to accelerate the process of biological mineralization mediated by carbon nanostructures (with and without titanium). Thus, these studies may bring about a significant advance in knowledge of both the role of the enzyme and the process of biomineralization mediated by agents that accelerate osteogenesis, evaluating how a certain structure of carbon nanotubes can accelerate this process and what happens with these systems at the molecular level. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ZANCANELA, DANIELA C.; DE FARIA, AMANDA N.; SIMAO, ANA MARIA S.; GONCALVES, ROGERIA R.; RAMOS, ANA PAULA; CIANCAGLINI, PIETRO. Multi and single walled carbon nanotubes: effects on cell responses and biomineralization of osteoblasts cultures. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN MEDICINE, v. 27, n. 3, MAR 2016. (11/22232-5)

ZANCANELA, DANIELA CERVELLE; SPER SIMAO, ANA MARIA; MATSUBARA, ELAINE YOSHIKO; ROSOLEN, JOSE MAURICIO; CIANCAGLINI, PIETRO. Defective Multilayer Carbon Nanotubes Increase Alkaline Phosphatase Activity and Bone-Like Nodules in Osteoblast Cultures. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, v. 16, n. 2, p. 1437-1444, FEB 2016. (10/07681-5, 11/22232-5)