Periodic Reporting for period 2 - LaserImplant (Laser-induced hierarchical micro-/nano-structures for controlled cell adhesion at implants)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-01-01 al 2023-03-31
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.
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.