Lysophosphatidic acid-functionalised titanium as a superior surface for supporting human osteoblast (MG63) maturation

Covalent modifications of titanium with small moleculesknown to promote human osteoblast maturation areespecially attractive in developing superior biomaterials.An important step in securing competent bone formationat implant sites is promoting the formation of matureosteoblasts, either from committed pre-osteoblasts orfrom their mesenchymal progenitors. To this end ourresearch has focussed on identifying molecules thatenhance human osteoblast formation and maturation andto develop ways of covalently attaching these molecules toimplant surfaces so that they are more likely to withstandthe rigors of the implantation process whilst still retainingtheir bioactivity. Herein we report the novel production oflipid-functionalised titanium using lysophosphatidic acidor a related compound, (3S) 1-fluoro-3-hydroxy-4-butyl-1-phosphonate. Both lipids were especially effective atco-operating with calcitriol to promote human osteoblastmaturation at these modified Ti surfaces in vitro. The novelfindings presented offer enticing new developments towardsthe fabrication of next-generation implant devices withthe potential to significantly enhance the osseointegrationprocess and with it improvements in future prosthesisperformance and longevity