Development of Biocomposites Containing Bioactive Glass Fibers for Chronic Wound Haeling

Abstract

The application of bioactive glass in the regeneration of soft tissue, i.e., skin, cartilage, connective tissue, etc., has increased dramatically over the years. The literature has shown that the ability of these bioactive glasses to bind to soft tissue, their high bioactivity and angiogenic properties make these biomaterials suitable for a variety of applications aiming the regeneration of this type of tissue, a fact that was unthinkable a few years ago. However, the forms of presentation of bioactive glasses, usually powder and granules, do not allow them to be applied to a wide range of surgical procedures due to lack of workability of these biomaterials. To overcome this problem and achieve a better handling, researchers are combining bioactive glasses with other materials, generally biopolymers.The development of a new bioactive glass formulation, at LaMaV - UFSCar, that has the ability to be processed into fibers, greatly broadened the spectrum of applications of this biomaterial and made them more attractive for the development of new fiber-reinforced biocomposites. Additionally, this new formulation is highly reactive, stimulates cells proliferation and has bactericidal properties, making its application to chronic wounds very promising. Therefore, this project aims to develop new biocomposites through the incorporation of this new glass formulation to biopolymers such as collagen, targeting in situ soft tissue regeneration.