Silicate-based bioactive composites for tissue regeneration

Abstract

Silicon (Si) is an essential trace element in the human body, which has been confirmed to be necessary for bone development. Silicon participates in the biosynthesis of collagen, the basic component of connective tissue; has a beneficial effect on phosphorylation of proteins, saccharides, and nucleotides; and is also essential for the formation of cytoskeleton and other cellular structures of mechanical or supportive function. Considerable research has been focusing on silicate-based materials, which have shown great potential in bone-related tissue engineering and tissue regeneration applications. Among them, silicate-based bioactive composites with proper composition and structure are promising bone regeneration materials owing to their enhanced and adjustable mechanical and biological properties. In this chapter, we reviewed the current status of silicate-based bioactive composites, including inorganic–organic, inorganic/inorganic, and inorganic/metallic systems, with the focus on fabrication methods and properties for bone tissue regeneration. Although it is evident that many advances have been achieved for silicate-based bioactive composites for the purpose of tissue regeneration, great efforts are still required in their development to fulfill the requirement of practical applications, which is an interdiscipline and subjected to accumulation of materials science and engineering, chemistry, biology, and transplantation medicine. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to provide hints for future development of silicate-based bioactive composites and design of bioactive materials for bone tissue regeneration.