Dextran-Based Hydrogels for In-Situ Delivery of Gallium-Containing Bioactive Glasses

Abstract

Previously, a series of three Ga2O3-Na2O-CaO-ZnO-SiO2 bioactive glasses was created in which zinc (Zn) was incrementally replaced by gallium (Ga). The structure and solubility of this glass series was then investigated in order to evaluate the ability of Gacontaining glasses to exhibit bioactive properties, and to determine whether these glasses were eligible candidates for biological studies. The results of this prior work suggested that these Ga-containing glasses exhibited potential as bioactive glasses, thus warranting further study. In the current study, the primary objective was not only to evaluate the biocompatibility of these glasses using cell assays, but to also develop a method of delivery for these glasses into a host system by impregnating these glass particles into a polymer hydrogel matrix, which consisted of functionalized forms of the polysaccharides dextran (Dex) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which were cross-linked by hydrazone bonds. The structure and solubility of the glass-hydrogel composites were then investigated, and in vitro studies were carried out to evaluate their cytocompatibility with healthy fibroblast and osteoblast cells, their anti-bacterial and anti-fungal efficacy, and their cytotoxicity towards cancerous osteosarcoma and myeloma cells.