Dental News - Mussels serve as model for innovative dental implant coating

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 7. February 2012

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GIEßEN, Germany: Researchers from the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the Justus Liebig University Gießen have developed a synthetic compound that imitates the adhesive ability of mussels. These new tripodal metal ligands achieve a more permanent and more stable surface coating on bones and teeth, which offers new alternatives for dental implantology.

The mussel proteins rank among the strongest natural glues and create strong bonds to a metal surface. Their molecules consist of basic tripodal structures, which can be coupled with catechol or bisphosphonate units to ensure a stable surface coating on medically relevant metals or directly on bones or teeth. Since monomeric derivatives, which have been used up to this point in implantology, realise a simple but less permanent functionalisation of surfaces, the new trimeric catechol derivatives and trimeric bisphosphonate derivatives offer a considerable advantage.

“By means of this coating, infections and biofouling can be prevented and engraftment of the bone can be improved significantly,” explained Prof. Wolfgang Maison, who conducted the research with his team.

Comparative experiments between coated and uncoated surfaces revealed that with decreasing pH, from neutral to acid (pH 5.8), 90 per cent of the tripodal catechol derivatives adhered to the metal surface, whereas only 60 per cent of the monomeric catechol derivatives behaved in the same manner. In addition, a remarkably lower deposition of bacteria, protein and nucleic acid was observed on the coated surfaces.

Biomimetic materials have increasingly gained importance and are expected to be key to future developments in the field of cosmetic dentistry in particular. With regard to tooth implants, future biomimetic alternatives will offer long-term biocompatibility and good aesthetics. According to Prof. Maison and his colleagues, their synthetic compound has valuable application in dentistry especially for dental implants and teeth, for instance for bleaching.

The Justus Liebig University Gießen is collaborating with the TransMIT Society for Technology Transfer GmbH, which acts as point of contact between research and business, to release the compound to the market. The society is currently searching for collaboration partners for further development of the compound in Europe, North and South America, as well as Asia.

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