In this study, six sol‐gel copper/magnesium substituted derivatives of 58S‐BG, that is, a mol% series of 60SiO2–4P2O5–5CuO–(31–x) CaO/xMgO (where x = 0, 1, 3, 5, 8, and 10), were synthesized as new multifunctional bioactive glasses (BGs). Afterwards, the effect of MgO/CaO substitution on the in vitro formation of nanohydroxyapatite (HA), osteoblast‐like cell responses, and bioactive glasses antibacterial performance were studied. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results revealed that Cu‐substituted 58S‐BG consisting of 5 mol% MgO (BG‐5/5) had capability of the formation of HA on its surface while, Cu‐substituted 58S‐BGs consisting 8 mol% and 10 mol% MgO (BG‐5/8 and BG‐5/10) displayed lower bioactivity.
The In vitro investigations proved that the highest values of both differentiation and proliferation of MC3T3‐E1 cells can be obtained from a 5 mol% MgO substituted BG. Furthermore, these novel Cu/Mg‐substituted 58S‐BGs displayed antibacterial effect against methicillin‐resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Taken together, the results suggest the equally substituted BG‐5/5 (ie., the one consists of 5 mol% of both CuO and MgO) as a promising candidate for bone tissue engineering, among all newly designed BGs in this work, owing to its desirable cell proliferation, ALP activity, and antibacterial properties.