Mesoporous Bioactive Glasses: Fabrication, Structure, Drug Delivery Property, and Therapeutic Potential

Abstract

Abstract Bioactive glasses (BGs) as promising biomaterials have been widely used for bone tissue regeneration and replacement because of their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and osteoconductivity. In the past decade, mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBG) with an ordered mesoporous structure and great specific surface area have been developed for in situ bone therapy and regenerative application. This paper reviews the preparation mechanism of MGB particles, coatings, fibers, and scaffolds and discusses the effects of chemical components, structure-directing agents, and reaction condition on the mesoporous structure. Implant-associated infections and poor bone-forming activity still occur in bone defects, which are overcome by loading antibiotic drugs or osteogenic drugs/growth factors on MBG carriers. MBGs as drug delivery systems have the following advantages: (i) the ordered mesopores in MBGs as drug channels increase the loading amount of drugs/growth factors; and (ii) the functional groups within MBGs enhance the controlled release property due to the hydrogen-bonding interaction. The future perspectives of MBGs loaded with drugs/growth factors are discussed for in vivo bone regeneration application to treat implant-associated infects and enhance osteogenesis.