Biocompatibility of bone marrow mesenchymal cells on polyetheretherketone and titanium surfaces in vitro

To compare the in vitro biocompatibility of bone marrow mesenchymal cells on polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and titanium (Ti) surfaces.

PEEK and Ti foils with thicknesses of 1 mm and diameters of 10 mm were prepared. First, bone marrow mesenchymal cells were separated and purified by the whole bone marrow adherent culture method in vitro. Then, osteogenesis-induced bone marrow mesenchymal cells were cultivated on the surfaces of the PEEK and Ti foils. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the Alamar Blue test, an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) kit and Alizarin Red staining were used to analyze calcium nodules and compare the adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation ability of bone marrow mesenchymal cells on the surfaces of the PEEK and Ti foils.

① The morphology of the bone marrow mesenchymal cells cultured on the PEEK and Ti foils at 1 h, 4 h and 24 h showed no significant differences. ② In the 1 h, 3 h, 1 d and 3 d cultures of the bone marrow mesenchymal cells inoculated on the surfaces of the foils, the number of living cells in the PEEK group was greater than that in the Ti group (P < 0.05). ③ In the 7 d and 14 d osteogenesis-induced cultures of the inoculated bone marrow mesenchymal cells, the ALP activity of the PEEK group cells was significantly greater than that of the Ti group cells (P < 0.05). ④ Semiquantitative analysis after Alizarin Red staining showed that the mineralization degree of the bone marrow mesenchymal cells induced by osteoblasts was greater in the PEEK group than in the Ti group (P < 0.05).

PEEK has better in vitro biocompatibility than Ti and can better promote cell adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation compared with Ti, and so it is expected to become a new dental implant material.