Challenges and perspectives of bioglass/chitosan-based coatings on solid supports

Abstract

Biomaterials are natural or synthetic materials designed to substitute or improve the performance of bone or living tissues. Over the past two decades, bioglass (BG) has emerged as a particularly promising biomaterial, consistently demonstrating its capacity to stimulate bone regeneration and osseointegration. Bioglass composites benefit from the addition of natural or synthetic polymers, which not only boost their mechanical integrity but also make them more versatile in terms of fabrication into different shapes and sizes. Of particular interest is typical polysaccharide, chitosan (Ch), a non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable derived from renewable sources, which naturally possesses antibacterial activity. The strategic combination of bioglass and chitosan leverages their individual strengths to create bioactive composite coatings with significant potential for diverse biomedical applications. These novel multilayer/multicomponent coatings deposited on solid support/implant are being actively investigated for their utility in: antimicrobial applications, drug delivery systems, wound dressings, skin regeneration, bone repair, general tissue engineering. Ongoing research is focused on addressing the challenges and exploring the prospects of bioglass/chitosan-based biomaterials to optimize their design and tailor their properties for future advancements in these crucial biomedical fields.