Title: Anodic nanotubes and nanochannels for biomedical applications

Abstract

Titanium and titanium-based alloys are well established as ideal implant biomaterials and their biological response is ruled by the surface properties. Therefore, increased attention was given to nanoscale a surface modification that leads to improved biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. Self-organized TiO2 nanostructures grown by electrochemical anodization havecontrolled nanoscale topography, large surface area, directional charge and ion transport properties, etc., this led to their extensive use. Anodization can be used on a wide range of elements and alloys (Ta, Nb, Zr, TiZr, TiNb, Ti6Al7Nb, etc.). Biomedical applications involve osseo integration, biosensors, antibacterial activity, drug delivery, mitigation of the inflammatory response, etc. and are based on the excellent control over the morphology and nanotopography. Moreover, cells respond to the nanoscale dimensions of the surface and can be synergistically influenced by the nanotopograhy and by addition of growth factors. Here we present an overview for obtaining nanotubular or nanochannelar topographies and we further discuss the key interactions with osteoblast cells in in vitro tests (osteoblasts in cell culture models), thus evaluating the use of various nano-topographies in biomedical applications and their advantage for further use in biomedical applications (with respect to drug delivery, osseointegration, inflammatory cell response).