The Fate of Osteoblast-Like MG-63 Cells on Pre-Infected Bactericidal Nanostructured Titanium Surfaces

Abstract

Biomaterials that have been newly implanted inside the body are the substratum targets for a “race for the surface”, in which bacterial cells compete against eukaryotic cells for the opportunity to colonize the surface. A victory by the former often results in biomaterial-associated infections, which can be a serious threat to patient health and can undermine the function and performance of the implant. Moreover, bacteria can often have a ‘head start’ if implant contamination has taken place either prior to or during the surgery. Current prevention and treatment strategies often rely on systemic antibiotic therapies, which are becoming increasingly ineffective due to a growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Nanostructured surfaces that kill bacteria by physically rupturing bacterial cells upon contact have recently emerged as a promising solution for the mitigation of bacterial colonization of implants. Furthermore, these nanoscale features have been shown to enhance the adhesion and proliferation of eukaryotic cells, which is a key to, for example, the successful osseointegration of load-bearing titanium implants. The bactericidal activity and biocompatibility of such nanostructured surfaces are often, however, examined separately, and it is not clear to what extent bacterial cell-surface interactions would affect the subsequent outcomes of host-cell attachment and osseointegration processes. In this study, we investigated the ability of bactericidal nanostructured titanium surfaces to support the attachment and growth of osteoblast-like MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells, despite them having been pre-infected with pathogenic bacteria. MG-63 is a commonly used osteoblastic model to study bone cell viability, adhesion, and proliferation on the surfaces of load-bearing biomaterials, such as titanium. The nanostructured titanium surfaces used here were observed to kill the pathogenic bacteria, whilst simultaneously enhancing the growth of MG-63 cells in vitro when compared to that occurring on sterile, flat titanium surfaces. These results provide further evidence in support of nanostructured bactericidal surfaces being used as a strategy to help eukaryotic cells win the “race for the surface” against bacterial cells on implant materials.

Biofilm Formation on the Surface of (Poly)Ether-Ether-Ketone and In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy on Peri-Implant Mucositis

“…These points would negatively impact cell adhesive effects, bone attachment, and osseointegration. The human osteoblast-like (MG-63) cells are commonly used osteoblastic models that are used to study bone cell viability, adhesion, and proliferation on the surfaces of load-bearing biomaterials [ 6 ]. Ti-6Al-4V and its compounds are gold standard materials for implants or abutments owing to their excellent mechanical strength, chemical stability, biocompatibility, and high osseointegration ability [ 6 , 12 ].…”

Natural Architectures for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

“…However, these properties are also relevant in guiding cell behaviour in vitro, which can be attributed to creating antifouling properties in vivo, for example. Concerning this, natural surfaces have been used in bioinspired approaches to guide cell behaviour, including spider silk [ 129 , 130 ], oyster shells ( Pinctada maxima) [ 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 ], lotus leaves [ 136 , 137 , 138 , 139 , 140 ], and cicada and dragonfly wings [ 36 , 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 , 147 ].…”

“…Potential nanopatterns that can simultaneously direct cell response and kill bacterial cells inspired by insect wings are also described in [ 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 , 147 ]. Such dual biofunctionality was investigated for three nanopatterns with pillar diameters ranging from 122–126 nm, heights between 94–188 nm, and spacing of 300 nm [ 144 ].…”

“…These surfaces showed selective bactericidal activity, while also enhancing proliferation of primary human fibroblasts [ 146 ]. Likewise, similar nanostructured titanium surfaces were able to kill bacteria and enhance the growth of MG63 cells compared to flat controls [ 147 ]. Such properties could be relevant for biomedical implants to tackle host–tissue integration problems.…”

UV Light Assisted Coating Method of Polyphenol Caffeic Acid and Mediated Immobilization of Metallic Silver Particles for Antibacterial Implant Surface Modification

“…Infection at the periphery of implants is usually due to two reasons: The attachment and formation of biofilm by microorganisms through colonization and the compromised immune ability at the interface of the implant and tissue [3,4,5]. Microorganisms are able to attach to the implant, especially biocompatible implants due to protein membrane formation [6,7,8,9]. Usually, the human body is able to defend itself from infections, depending on the immune response system [10,11].…”