Increased osteoblast functions among nanophase titania/poly(lactide-co-glycolide) composites of the highest nanometer surface roughness.

Currently, the scientific challenges for bone tissue engineering lie in the development of suitable scaffold materials that can improve bone cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. The design of nanophase titania/poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) composites offers an exciting approach to combine the advantages of a degradable polymer with nanosize ceramic particles to optimize the physical and biological properties necessary for bone regeneration. Moreover, because of the presence of nanosized ceramics, such composites can be formulated to match the surface roughness of bone. For these reasons, the objective of the present in vitro study was to investigate osteoblast (bone-forming cell) adhesion and long-term functions on nanophase titania/PLGA composites that mimic the surface roughness of bone. Various sonication powers were applied in this study to manipulate titania dispersions in PLGA and consequently control their surface roughness. Most importantly, results correlated better osteoblast adhesion and long-term functions (such as collagen, alkaline phosphatase activity, and calcium-containing mineral deposition) among nanophase titania/PLGA composites that had surface roughness values closer to natural bone. In this manner, this present study demonstrated that the nanophase titania/PLGA composites sonicated to have nanometer surface roughness values can improve osteoblast functions necessary for enhanced bone tissue engineering applications.