Microfluidic-assisted synthesis of Mg-containing bioactive glass nanosphere/alginate microsphere with controllable ion release process

Abstract Ionic conditions in the local microenvironment significantly influence tissue regeneration processes. Bioactive glass (BG) can modulate the local ionic conditions by releasing ions toward enhanced tissue regeneration. However, a controllable release of ions from BG is still challenging. In this research, composite microspheres composed of bioactive glass nanospheres (BGN) and sodium alginate (ALG) were developed via the microfluidic technique. ALG/BGN composite microspheres (diameter: 20-30 μm) exhibited controllable ion release behavior by tailoring the ratio of BGN and alginate phases. Compared with BGN, the composite microspheres exhibited a more sustained release of Si and Mg for up to 7 days. The results show the potential of the novel ALG/BGN composite microspheres in modulating local ionic conditions for tissue regeneration.