Proteomics as a tool to study the osteoimmunomodulatory role of metallic ions in a sol-gel coating.

The success of bone implants depends on the osteoimmunomodulatory (OIM) activity of the biomaterials in the interactions with the periimplantary tissues. Many tests have been conducted to evaluate the osteoimmunology effects of biomaterials. However, results of these tests have often been inconclusive. This study examines the properties of newly developed sol-gel coatings doped with two metal ions associated with bone regeneration, Ca and Zn. The study uses both proteomic methods and traditional assays. The results demonstrate that proteomics is an effective tool to scrutinize the OIM properties of the materials. Moreover, sol-gel coatings offer excellent base materials to evaluate the effects of metal ions on these properties. The obtained data highlight the highly tunable nature of sol-gel materials; studying the materials with different doping levels supplies valuable information on the interactions between the immune and bone-forming processes.