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Stability and cellular responses to fluorapatite-collagen composites.

Yoon BH, Kim HW, Lee SH, Bae CJ, Koh YH, Kong YM, Kim HE

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, San 56-1 Sillim-Dong, Kwanak-Gu, Seoul 151-744, Republic of Korea.

Fluorapatite (FA)-collagen composites were synthesized via a biomimetic coprecipitation method in order to improve the structural stability and cellular responses. Different amounts of ammonium fluoride (NH4F), acting as a fluorine source for FA, were added to the precipitation of the composites. The precipitated composites were freeze-dried and isostatically pressed in a dense body. The added fluorine was incorporated nearly fully into the apatite structure (fluoridation), and a near stoichiometric FA-collagen composite was obtained with complete fluoridation. The freeze-dried composites had a typical biomimetic network, consisting of collagen fibers and precipitates of nano-sized apatite crystals. The human osteoblast-like cells on the FA-collagen composites exhibited significantly higher proliferation and differentiation (according to alkaline phosphatase activity) than those on the hydroxyapatite-collagen composite. These enhanced osteoblastic cell responses were attributed to the fluorine release and the reduced dissolution rate.

Published 17 December 2004 in Biomaterials, 26(16): 2957-63.
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