Bioactive improving the bioresponse to polymers using zirconium and tantalum hybridization

Biomaterials are to replace and/or repair damaged tissue or organs. The most two common biomaterials are metals and polymers. Each of these materials has its own strength and weakness. Metals offer good mechanical strength and bioactivity but lack flexibility. Polymers are flexible and useful in soft tissue applications, but do not provide good tissue integration. In some cases, it is desirable to have a material that shares the properties of both flexibility and improved bioactivity. The bioactivity of hybridized polymer and metal oxide materials remains largely unexplored. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of adding transition metal oxides from zirconium and tantalum to a silicone-base polymer, on growth of human cells. Rapid screening methods were employed in this study to evaluate cellular bioresponses to coatings applied directly to the bottom of tissue culture plates using the BioIntraface™ Patented wet chemistry method