Titanium
(Ti) dental implants have an excellent biocompatibility and load-bearing
mechanical properties and thus occupy the vast majority of commercial implant
markets. However, due to the impaired host defense and antibacterial properties
of titanium, even after thorough disinfection, it is susceptible to bacterial
infection, which will impair osseointegration and even cause the implant to
fall off. Therefore, the practical application of Ti implants requires improved
antimicrobial activity.
The
tantalum sputtering target
is considered a promising metal material for biomedical implants or coatings
for dental, orthopedic and arthroplasty because of its superior corrosion
resistance, radiopacity, and biology compatibility, osteogenic and
antibacterial activity. A Ta-based coating comprising TaO and TaN has an
antibacterial effect on oral pathogens in artificial saliva. Magnetron
sputtering implants a tantalum sputter target into the Ti implant to form a
Ta2O5 coating with a micro/nano layered structure on Ti, which greatly enhances
the in vitro osteogenic activity of the Ti implant.
However, although ruthenium
(Ta)-based coatings have proven to have good antibacterial activity, their
basic mechanisms and in vivo biological properties have not been known, which
is critical for the clinical application of Ta-coated biomaterials as dental
implants.
BackGrounds:
Although
tantalum (Ta)-based coatings have been proven to have good antibacterial
activity, the underlying mechanism and in vivo biological performance remain
unclear, which are essential for the clinical application of Ta-coated
biomaterials as dental implants.
Purpose:
The main objective of this study is to investigate the
antibacterial activity of Ta-modified titanium (Ti) implants against
peri-implantitis-related microbes and the potential molecular mechanisms.
Methods:
Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis were selected to evaluate the antibacterial activity
and potential antibacterial mechanism of Ta modification. The in vivo
biocompatibility of Ta-modified implants was also evaluated.
Results:
The results showed that Ta-modified surface performed
excellent antimicrobial activity against Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Micro galvanic might be formed between the incorporated Ta
and the Ti base, which could consume the protons and result in decreased ATP
synthesis and increased ROS generation. The gene expression of bacterial
virulence factors associated with cellular attachment, invasion and viability
as the target of ROS was downregulated. Importantly, in vivo biological studies
showed that Ta modification significantly promoted the osseointegration of
implants by stimulating the expression of bone-forming proteins.
Conclusion:
This study may provide some insights into clinical
applications of Ta-coated Ti implants, especially in possibly infected
situations.
For
more information, please visit https://www.sputtertargets.net/.
