RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED BIOMATERIALS: FROM CONCEPT TO CLINIC Faculty of Material Science and Applied Chemistry Institute of General Chemical Engineering Rudolfs Cimdins Riga Biomaterials Innovations and Development Center
INTRODUCTION
▶Dr. sc. ing. Prof. Līga Bērziņa-Cimdiņa
▶Dr. sc. ing. Zilgma Irbe
▶Dr. sc. ing. Assoc. Prof. Jānis Ločs
▶Mg. sc. ing. Līga Stīpniece
▶Dr. sc. ing. Kristīne Šalma-Ancāne
▶Mg. sc. ing. Arita Dubņika
▶Dr. sc. ing. Dagnija Loča
▶Mg. sc. ing. Inga Narkevica
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Musculoskeletal diseases and disorders, such as osteoporosis, osteonecrosis and degenerative osteoarthritis, affect hundreds of millions of people across the world. These bone diseases often lead to bone fragility and complex fracture. The most promising biomaterials for bone tissue replacement and regeneration are calcium phosphates (CaP), especially hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate, due to their unique properties — biocompatibility, bioactivity and osteoconductivity [1]. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) also can be used as a bone substitute, especially in tissue engineering as 3D scaffolds that could bond to living bone and enhance the vascularisation after implantation. Nevertheless, TiO2 shows a good bioactivity and has a certain degree of bacteriostatic effect [2]. Rudolfs Cimdins Riga Biomaterials Innovation and Development Centre (RCRBIDC) of Riga Technical University performs the multidisciplinary steps of the calcium phosphate and titanium oxide-based biomaterials development process for specific application in living system or functioning in intimate contact with living tissue, and has made significant contributions to the health and quality of human life. The overall goal of our research work is to obtain calcium phosphate bioceramics or their composites which would ensure faster and more efficient recovery of the damaged bone by decomposing into the environment of body and gradually releasing ions or drugs able to affect the bone diseases and regeneration process. Our research group also works on creation of novel 3D titaniabone scaffolds with enhanced bioactivity for biomedical application to solve a public health issues affecting peoples with musculoskeletal problems. RCRBIDC and Riga Stradins University have long-standing scientific cooperation for evaluation of these materials in pre-clinical studies: in vitro and in vivo, as well in clinical use, mainly in oral and maxillofacial surgery, started also in orthopaedic surgery. Working closely with clinical and commercial partners enables the work to be approached from broadly based fundamental, clinical and commercial viewpoints. On the basis of in-depth research of calcium phosphates, calcium phosphate bone cements, bioceramic matrices for controlled drug delivery and bioceramics with controlled micro- and macroporosity are developed [3, 4, 5, 6]. Currently several national and international research projects are running in RCRBIAC: • FP7 EURONANOMED II ERA-NET “Nanoforosteo” “Multifunctional injectable nano HAp composites for the treatment of osteoporotic bone fractures” 2013–2016. • FP7 M-era.NET „GoIMPLANT” „Tough, Strong and Resorbable Orthopaedic Implants” 2013–2015. • FP7 MATERA — ERA-NET „SONOSCA” MATERA/BBM-2557 „Sonochemical technology for bioactive bone regeneration scaffold production” 01.01.2012–12.12.2014.