Enhancing biomedical implants
Titanium is widely utilised in biomedical implants. Despite its superior mechanical properties and biocompatibility, post operative infections and successful fusing to the patient’s bone remain ongoing challenges. Hence, researchers continue to explore potential means by which to enhance the bioactivity of titanium surfaces.
High purity Fucus vesiculosus fucoidan, produced by Marinova, was integral to a recent study that developed an innovative coating for titanium-based implants. In this latest in vitro research, an azithromycin-loaded PVA-fucoidan hydrogel coating was developed and characterised on titanium surfaces.
The coating demonstrated promising physicochemical and biological properties, making it a potential candidate for enhancing the performance of titanium-based biomedical implants. The researchers reported superior antibacterial activity, excellent hemocompatibility and 100% cell viability in fibroblast cultures.
The paper, ‘Bio-functional azithromycin loaded polyvinyl alcohol and fucoidan hydrogel coating for titanium Implants: An experimental in vitro study’, was published in the Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research.