Chitosan/bioactive glass nanoparticle composite membranes for periodontal regeneration

Barrier membranes are used in periodontal applications with the aim of supporting periodontal regeneration by physically blocking migration of epithelial cells. The present work proposes a combination of chitosan (CHT) with bioactive glass nanoparticles (BG-NPs) in order to produce a novel guided tissue and bone regeneration membrane, fabricated by solvent casting. The CHT/BG-NP nanocomposite membranes are characterized in terms of water uptake, in mechanical tests, under simulated physiological conditions and in in vitro bioactivity tests. The addition of BG-NPs to CHT membranes decreased the mechanical potential of these membranes, but on the other hand the bioactivity improved. The membranes containing the BG-NPs induced the precipitation of bone-like apatite in simulated body fluid (SBF). Biological tests were carried out using human periodontal ligament cells and human bone marrow stromal cells. CHT/BG-NP composite membranes promoted cell metabolic activity and mineralization. The results indicate that the CHT/BG-NP composite membrane could potentially be used as a temporary guided tissue regeneration membrane in periodontal regeneration, with the possibility to induce bone regeneration. (C) 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.