Bio-adhesive surfaces to promote osteoblast differentiation and bone formation.

Binding of integrin adhesion receptors to extracellular matrix components, such as fibronectin and type I collagen, activates signaling pathways directing osteoblast survival, cell-cycle progression, gene expression, and matrix mineralization. Biomimetic strategies exploit these adhesive interactions to engineer bio-inspired surfaces that promote osteoblast adhesion and differentiation, bone formation, and osseointegration. These emerging initiatives focus on directing integrin binding through presentation of bio-adhesive motifs derived from extracellular matrices. These biomolecular approaches provide promising strategies for the development of biologically active implants and grafting substrates for enhanced bone repair.