Effect of collagen type I and vitamin D3 functionalization of biomimetic bioglass scaffolds on hydroxyapatite condensation

Abstract In previous work, biomimetic nanostructured scaffolds for bone reconstruction, elaborated by sol-gel synthesis coupled to spray drying and template addition, which presented faster bioactivity than the scaffolds obtained by traditional synthesis process [ 1 ]. These scaffolds with hierarchical porous structures had an interconnected pore network, a critical parameter in the development of new tissue and biomolecules migration. To enhance their bioactivity, the present work proposes the bioglass scaffold functionalization by using different biomolecules: Collagen type I and Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) at different concentrations to facilitate the cellular adhesion and stimulate the grown factors. To characterize the functionalized scaffolds and the hydroxyapatite formation by incubation in simulated body fluid, scanning electron microscopy, microanalysis and x-ray diffraction were used to determine changes in the scaffold surface. Different hydroxyapatite morphologies were obtained depending of the biomolecules, such as columns in the collagen-functionalized scaffolds or agglomerated spheres in the cholecalciferol-functionalized scaffolds, covering the entire surface at day two after immersion in SBF.