Verifying the cytotoxicity of a biodegradable zinc alloy with nanodiamond sensors

Author(s)

Daniel Wojtas, Aldona Mzyk, Runrun Li, Michael Zehetbauer, Erhard Schafler, Anna Jarzębska, Bartosz Sułkowski, Romana Schirhagl

Abstract

Metals are widely utilized as implant materials for bone fixtures as well as stents. Biodegradable versions of these implants are highly desirable since patients do not have to undergo a second surgery for the materials to be removed. Attractive options for such materials are zinc silver alloys since they also offer the benefit of being antibacterial. However, it is important to investigate the effect of the degradation products of such alloys on the surrounding cells, taking into account silver cytotoxicity. Here we investigated zinc alloyed with 1 % of silver (Zn[sbnd]1Ag) and how differently concentrated extracts (1 %–100 %) of this material impact human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). More specifically, we focused on free radical generation and oxidative stress as well as the impact on cell viability. To determine free radical production we used diamond-based quantum sensing as well as conventional fluorescent assays. The viability was assessed by observing cell morphology and the metabolic activity via the MTT assay. We found that 1 % and 10 % extracts are well tolerated by the cells. However, at higher extract concentrations we observed severe impact on cell viability and oxidative stress. We were also able to show that quantum sensing was able to detect significant free radical generation even at the lowest tested concentrations.

Organisation(s)

Dynamics of Condensed Systems

External organisation(s)

Masaryk University, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), University of Groningen, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), AGH University of Science and Technology

Journal

Biomaterials Advances

Volume

162

No. of pages

13

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213927

Publication date

09-2024

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

210004 Nanomaterials, 103018 Materials physics

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Bioengineering, Biomaterials, Biomedical Engineering

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/280e5a0e-1ac9-483e-b6af-eb74d862586c