Development of bioceramic bone graft associated with bioactive plant extracts for guided bone regeneration

Abstract

Analyzing the current domestic or imported commercial products for bone grafting, it was observed that they have in common the characteristic of being only osteoconductive. Although the available products are biocompatible with the receptor area at the surgical site, it was found that the options are limited to synthetic hydroxyapatite or of animal origin, mainly bovine. According to the literature, quality control is poor of the bone grafts comparing different materials and lots, regardless of origin, which can directly impact the biological response, with different clinical results. In spite of the technology used to obtain and process these products, it is clearly observed that commercial materials for bone grafting lack scientific and technological advances with rapid translational application. In order to validate the market research through ethnographic research with dentists, it was observed that one of the greatest "pains" of these professionals is the lack of commercial products that have proven osteoinductive activity. It is known that bone neoformation in the graft after application to the surgical wound is a long process and subject to complications in the postoperative period. The osteoinductive activity so desired by these professionals would accelerate the healing process, minimizing postoperative problems. According to the Brazilian Association of the Medical, Dental and Hospital Industry (ABIMO), this market moves R$ 1.2 billion annually and has grown 15% a year, especially for exporting to numerous countries. Therefore, it is observed that there is room for the launch of new products, especially for innovative materials. This project aims to develop bone graft based on synthetic hydroxyapatite nanocomposites with the incorporation of bioactives from two species from Brazilian biodiversity: Stryphnodendron adstringens, popularly known as barbatimão and the sap extracted from Hevea brasiliensis, known as latex. These medicinal plants have in common bioactive compounds that can have synergistic action when associated with hydroxyapatite, presenting angiogenic and osteoinductive activities, thus accelerating bone tissue regeneration. In addition, these plants have compounds with antimicrobial activity, which would act locally on the surgical wound and minimize post-operative problems, essential for complete bone regeneration. The addition of latex would favor even better manipulative and mechanical properties of the graft, since pure hydroxyapatite is friable. An extensive search for patents in similar products on different databases demonstrated that there are no patents that use barbatimão, alone or in association with latex, with sustained release and/or with similarity with the product proposed here. It is expected at the end of this project to obtain intellectual property protection not only of the final product, but also of mechanisms related to different technological processes, such as obtaining nanostructured hydroxyapatite as well as its incorporation into plant bioactive compounds. Thus, since there are no similar products on the market, it is expected to develop a product with incremental innovation for guided bone regeneration and which acts as a bioactive graft by the sustained release of bioactives from the proposed medicinal plants. The economic-financial impact of the development of this product will be extremely positive, as it would add important claims as the possibility of large-scale production with low-cost inputs, for incorporating compounds from plants from Brazilian biodiversity, for being sustainable, and especially for being bioactive. (AU)