UNN scientists develop biocompatible materials
Researchers from Lobachevsky University became winners of the Urazov Competition of Youth Research Projects for studies in the field of physicochemical analysis, materials science, chemical technology of natural raw materials processing. The competition is held by the Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Evgeny Bulanov, Associate Professor at the UNN Department of Analytical and Medicinal Chemistry, and Ksenia Stasenko, Junior Researcher at the same department, became winners with their project "Development of chemical basis for geo- and biomimetic materials". They focused their efforts on finding new chemical compositions of compounds in the apatite mineral family, which are important for various applications. They have already succeeded in obtaining over 90 individual compounds, more than half of which have been produced for the first time.
"First of all, we are developing biomimetic substances with antibacterial properties based on calcium oxo-/hydroxyapatite. Such substances can be used to produce bone replacement materials capable of preventing periprosthetic infection, which can occur when the material is implanted. They serve as a safer alternative to modern materials with embedded antibiotics," said Evgeny Bulanov.
The Nizhny Novgorod research team has developed approaches to obtaining such materials. Their biocompatibility with human cells has already been proved on an in vitro model.
One more line of UNN scientists' research is to obtain biocompatible apatite-like substances with stable colouring. The field of application of such phases is fairly wide: from auxiliary colouring of bone cements for the control of uniformity of their application to the use in permanent make-up and tattooing.
The development of biocompatible materials is conducted in collaboration with the Privolzhsky Research Medical University, one of the largest medical research and educational centres, which has its own clinical base and opportunities for introducing new medical materials into practice. The research is also highly relevant in view of the need for import substitution of materials and technologies.
