Laser-induced hierarchical micro-/nano-structures for controlled cell adhesion at implants

Project Information

LaserImplant

Grant agreement ID: 951730

DOI

10.3030/951730

Project closed

EC signature date 17 June 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 31 March 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Total cost

€ 1 945 797,50

EU contribution

€ 1 945 797,50

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAT LINZ
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - LaserImplant (Laser-induced hierarchical micro-/nano-structures for controlled cell adhesion at implants)

Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2023-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

A large application area of medical implants are currently dental prostheses – a rapidly growing market in ageing societies. These implants consisting of Ti or a Ti-alloy should provide good and fast osseointegration into the jaw bone. Opposed to that demand, in other applications (for instance for bone screws and plates), the implants may have to be removed after some months or several years and shall, therefore, not be completely overgrown by the bodies’ cells. Hence, a one-step laser-based surface functionalization of implant materials for controlling the cell growth is strongly desired.

The goal of the EIC Pathfinder pilot (FET-Proactive) project LaserImplant is the cooperation between academia, research centers, laser-processing device developers and implant producers for future development of smart medical implants addressing wide-spread patient’s needs in the fields of dental prostheses and screws and plates for bone regeneration. The project activities include to pave the pathway for commercialization of laser-functionalized implants, the exploration of industrial up-scaling strategies (including a demonstrator of implant functionalization machines to be conceived and built at the end of the project), and the dissemination and exploitation of the results.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The adhesion of bone-forming osteoblast cells on Ti-based substrates can be controlled by a combination of laser-based surface functionalization and electrochemical anodization: either the cells can be activated or cell adhesion can be hindered.

In our publication (M. Muck et al., Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 1342), we were able to prove that microstructures and nanostructures can be used to reduce the adhesion of these cells on medical implants. While experiments with osteoblasts had shown that femtosecond laser-processing followed by electrochemical anodization resulted in an activation of the cells with increased production of extracellular matrix material, significant reduction of cell adhesion for osteoblasts was only obtained at pre-anodized surfaces. It could be demonstrated that this functionalization by means of femtosecond laser-processing can result in bone screws that hinder the adhesion of osteoblasts.

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) can influence the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) into the osteogenic direction. As is demonstrated in our recent publication (M. Maalouf at al., Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 1619), the best results are obtained by Radial LIPSS generated on Ti-based surfaces by azimuthal polarized femtosecond laser light. This fine tuning of ultrashort pulse lasers may be a promising new route for the functionalization of medical implants.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Our vision is to develop smart medical implants, to pave the pathway for commercialization of laser-functionalized implants, and to implement a demonstrator of implant functionalization machines.

Cell-repellent Ti-based bone screw with blue pre-anodization; laser-processed rings shown in black.

Fluorescence staining; hMSC; Ti surfaces; LIPSS; adapted from M. Maalouf at al., Nanomaterials 2022