Selenium nanocluster coatings for anti-cancer, anti-bacterial orthopedic applications

Abstract

Two common causes leading to bone implant failure are: an insufficient bonding between the implant and surrounding bone and infection. Patients with implant failure often undergo revision surgeries which are costly and painful. Moreover, for patients who receive orthopedic implants after cancerous tissue is removed, it would be beneficial to implant an anti-cancer material that can impede the return of cancerous tissue growth that may develop from cancer cells not removed during surgery. Therefore, the objective of this study was to create a coating material that can: (i) promote healthy, normal bone growth, (ii) inhibit bacterial attachment and (iii) impede cancer growth. To achieve that objective, conventional orthopedic implant materials (such as titanium (Ti), stainless steel and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) were coated with selenium (Se) nanoclusters. Different coating densities were achieved by varying Se concentration in the reaction mixture. For the first time, Se nanocluster coatings were shown to enhance healthy osteoblast (bone-forming cell) and inhibit cancerous osteoblast proliferation in either separate-culture experiments or co-culture experiments. S. epidermidis (one of the leading bacteria that infect implants) functions were inhibited on materials coated with Se-nanoclusters compared to uncoated materials. Therefore, a new orthopedic implant coating material is introduced here that may be ideal for promoting bone growth and inhibiting cancer and bacteria growth