Collagen mineralization and its applications in hard tissue repair

Vertebrate hard tissues (teeth and bones) are formed through a mineralization process in living systems, and mineralized collagen is the basic building block of these biological materials. Mineralized collagen is an organic–inorganic composite material formed from collagen molecules and nano-calcium phosphate minerals. Understanding the principle, process, and regulation mechanism of collagen mineralization in organisms is of great significance for the design of materials for hard tissue regeneration. In this review, the assembly of collagen molecules, the hierarchical structural characteristics of mineralized collagen, the interactions between collagen molecules and non-collagen proteins with calcium phosphate materials, the nucleation theory relating to collagen mineralization, and the applications of collagen mineralization technology in hard tissue repair are discussed. This review aims to provide a reference for the in-depth study of the collagen biomineralization mechanism and applications relating to hard tissue regeneration and repair.