In vitro genotoxic study reinforces the use of titanium-35niobium alloy in biomedical implants

Abstract

Titanium-Niobium (TiNb) alloys have been considered a good alternative for several biomedical applications. Titanium-35niobium (Ti-35Nb) alloy has an excellent biological profi le and shows a great potential for biomedical application in both the orthopedic and dentistry fi elds. In this study, the comet assay and micronucleus assays, sensitive assays for DNA damage, were used to evaluate potential genotoxicity in model cell type exposed to Ti-35Nb alloy and pure titanium (Ti pure). Human osteosarcoma cells (MG63) were exposed to Ti-35Nb and Ti pure extracts and DNA damage assessed at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. The assays, comet and micronucleus, showed that Ti-35Nb alloy did not cause damage to the cells DNA. Our results demonstrated that Ti-35Nb alloy does not present genotoxicity, reinforcing that this alloy is a promising material and constitutes an alternative in the substitution to the materials currently used in orthopedics and in dentistry. Impact Statement The applications of titanium based alloys are widely used as orthopedic implants due to their excellent combination of mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and outstanding biocompatibility. Recently studies have been demonstrated titanium-niobium alloys do not present cytotoxicity, exhibit corrosion resistance similar or superior to titanium and have elastic modulus signifi cantly lower than other titanium alloys. These characteristics make these materials an alternative for several biomedical applications, mainly implants. Previous studies demonstrated that Ti-35Nb alloy exhibits the closest elastic modulus of bone, and have good performance in key parameters of osteogenesis, which means that this alloy has an excellent biological profi le and shows a great potential for biomedical application. In the present study it was demonstrated that Ti-35Nb alloy did not present DNA damage. Thus, these results consolidate this alloy has a promising material to substitution to the materials currently used in orthopedics and in dentistry, with absence of cytotoxity and genotoxity.