Bioactive glasses: Advancing from micro to nano and its potential application

Abstract

Bioactive glasses or bioglasses in short (please consult the Editor’s note in order to clarify the usage of the terms bioglass, bioactive glass and biocompatible glasses) have attracted much attention in application for bone regeneration since 1970s. With the development of the preparation strategies from conventional quenching to modified sol–gel methods, bioglasses of different structures and varied compositions have been reported as their physicochemical and biological properties being well-studied. Mesoporous bioglasses, which possessed unique mesopore channels for drug delivery, has become a hotspot in the last decade. In this chapter, the fabrication of bioglasses including porous scaffolds, coatings, fibers and particles especially the development of its nanoscale form, and several bioglasses involved composite materials are discussed. Recent studies on therapeutic ion substitution (e.g. Sr, Co) of bioglasses and their biological properties both in vivo and in vitro are mentioned. The potential application of bioglasses in different forms for the hard tissue engineering (e.g. dental implantation, bone regeneration), and some recent reports on soft tissue engineering (e.g. would healing) are also referred to. As one of the most promising candidate for bone/soft tissue regeneration application, both the great chances and challenges, and the potential direction of bioglasses for its development are summarized.