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REVIEW article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1522442
Enhanced Functionalities of Biomaterials through Metal Ion Surface Modification
Provisionally accepted
Yujie Tao 1
Wayne Nishio Ayre 2
Liming Jiang 1 Siyu Chen 1 Yuqi Dong 1
Lin Wu 1*
Yilai Jiao 3*
Xiaohan Liu 1*- 1 China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- 2 University Dental Hospital on Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- 3 Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang Branch, Shenyang, China
The development of new artificial biomaterials for bone defect repair is an ongoing area of clinical research. Metal ions such as zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium, strontium, silver, and cerium play various roles in bone tissue regeneration in the human body and possess a range of biochemical functions. Studies have demonstrated that appropriate concentrations of these metal ions can promote osteogenesis and angiogenesis, inhibit osteoclast activity, and deter bacterial infections. Researchers have incorporated metal ions into biomaterials using various methods to create artificial bone materials with enhanced osteogenic and antibacterial capabilities. In addition to the osteogenic properties of all the aforementioned metal ions, Zn, Sr, and Ce can indirectly promote osteogenesis by inhibiting osteoclast activity. Cu, Mg, and Sr significantly enhance angiogenesis, while the antibacterial properties of Zn, Cu, Ag, and Ce can reduce the likelihood of infection and inflammation caused by implanted materials. This paper reviews the mechanisms through which metal ions promote bone tissue growth and improve the antibacterial activity of biomaterials. It also summarizes common loading methods on the surface of biomaterials with different metals and highlights the potential clinical applications of these new artificial bone materials.
Keywords: Bone defect repair, Metal ions, Osteogenesis, Antibacterial activity, Biomaterials
Received: 04 Nov 2024; Accepted: 01 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tao, Nishio Ayre, Jiang, Chen, Dong, Wu, Jiao and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Lin Wu, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
Yilai Jiao, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang Branch, Shenyang, China
Xiaohan Liu, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.