The Application of Nanodiamond in Biotechnology and Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Diamond in the allotrope form consists of carbon atoms arranged in a cubic crystal structure covalently bonded in sp 3 hybridization. Diamond has emerged as a very promising material for various biomedical applications due to its excellent mechanical properties (hardness, low friction coefficient, good adhesiveness to the underlying substrate, good interlayer cohesion), optical properties (the ability to emit intrinsic luminescence), electrical properties (good insulator in the pristine state and semiconductor after doping), chemical resistance (low chemical reactivity and resistance to wet etching) and biocompatibility (little if any toxicity and immunogenicity). For advanced biomedical applications, diamond is promising particularly in its nanostructured forms, namely nanoparticles, nanostructured diamond films and composite scaffolds in which diamond nanoparticles are dispersed in a matrix (mainly nanodiamond-loaded nanofibrous scaffolds). This chapter summarizes both our long-term experience and that of other research groups in studies focusing on the interaction of cells (particularly bone-derived cells) with nanodiamonds as nanoparticles, thin films and composites with synthetic polymers. Their potential applications in bioimaging, biosensing, drug delivery, biomaterial coating and tissue engineering are also reviewed.

Fabrication and Biocompatibility Evaluation of Nanodiamonds-Gelatin Electrospun Materials Designed for Prospective Tissue Regeneration Applications

“…In order to enhance a materials’ ability to promote cell proliferation, recent biomaterial development includes addition of nanoparticles in order to obtain optimal cell-scaffold interaction [17]. NDs are known for their exquisite properties and good interaction with cells and this has been proven several times in different studies.…”

“…Guarino et al [54] showed that human mesenchymal stem cells had a superior interaction with PCL membranes when gelatin was added to their structure. Besides, NDs have also shown to enhance cell adhesion due to their favorable physical proprieties [17,18]. Pereia et al [55] fabricated a poly (lactic acid) scaffold which contained NDs and investigated biological and bioactive proprieties of this electrospun fiber.…”

“…Diamond, a material composed of carbon atoms arranged in a cubic crystal structure, has become a potential candidate for biotechnological and life sciences applications, especially due to its natural provenance. Mostly, it became attractive for a large range of TE applications under its nanostructured form, specifically NDs [17]. Moreover, NDs turned out to exhibit low or no cytotoxicity when brought in contact with cells [18].…”

Applications of Nanocellulose/Nanocarbon Composites: Focus on Biotechnology and Medicine

“…The chemical properties of nanodiamonds include low chemical reactivity and resistance to liquid-and gas-phase oxidations. However, nanodiamonds can be doped with various atoms, and their surface can be functionalized by various atoms, chemical groups and (bio)molecules ( [152,153,157,158]; for a review, see [10][11][12][13][14][15]155]). Scheme of a nanodiamond (a) and of the preparation and structure of nanocellulose/nanodiamond composites (b).…”

Uptake and intracellular accumulation of diamond nanoparticles – a metabolic and cytotoxic study

“…Moreover, diamond represents a new class of material with properties that are tailorable on demand [ 2 ]. This work investigates the use of diamond nanomaterials, or nanodiamonds (NDs), especially in life sciences, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine [ 3 – 6 ]. Diamond is biocompatible [ 7 – 8 ], and for advanced biomedical applications, it is particularly promising in its nanostructured forms (nanoparticles, nanostructured diamond films and composite scaffolds) [ 9 ].…”