Implant Surfaces Containing Bioglasses and Ciprofloxacin as Platforms for Bone Repair and Improved Resistance to Microbial Colonization

• Published in: Pharmaceutics
• Main Authors: Irina Negut, Carmen Ristoscu, Tatiana Tozar, Mihaela Dinu, Anca Constantina Parau, Valentina Grumezescu, Claudiu Hapenciuc, Marcela Popa, Miruna Silvia Stan, Luminita Marutescu, Ion N. Mihailescu, Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
• Subjects: thin film; antibiotic delivery; biocompatibility; bioglass; laser deposition
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/6/1175

Coatings are an attractive and challenging selection for improving the bioperformance of metallic devices. Composite materials based on bioglass/antibiotic/polymer are herein proposed as multifunctional thin films for hard tissue implants. We deposited a thin layer of the polymeric material by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation—MAPLE onto Ti substrates. A second layer consisting of bioglass + antibiotic was applied by MAPLE onto the initial thin film. The antimicrobial activity of MAPLE-deposited thin films was evaluated on <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>, <i>Escherichia coli</i>, and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> standard strains. The biocompatibility of obtained thin films was assessed on mouse osteoblast-like cells. The results of our study revealed that the laser-deposited coatings are biocompatible and resistant to microbial colonization and biofilm formation. Accordingly, they can be considered viable candidates for biomedical devices and contact surfaces that would otherwise be amenable to contact transmission.