Soluble Ga/Ce-doped phosphate glass fibres exhibiting controlled release of ions were developed and characterised for wound healing applications. Fibres did not disturb the proliferation and migration of cells and showed antibacterial properties.

Phosphate-based glasses (PBG) have low melting temperatures and can be obtained by meltquenching and sol-gel methods. The most significant characteristic of PBG is their ability to dissolve completely in aqueous solution within different timeframes. This solubility can reduce the need for revision surgeries and makes PBG well-suited for soft tissue regeneration. Phosphate glass fibres (PGF) due to their geometry and volume-surface area ratio are the subject of a growing number of studies on resorbable composites. Medical applications include bone fixation devices, nerve tissue scaffolds and wound healing. PBG can be doped with various ions to enhance their biological, chemical and structural properties allowing the preparation of fibres with designed properties and with the ability to release biologically active ions upon degradation. The aim of this review is to look in detail at the influence of different dopants on PGF behaviour, both at a structural and biological level.

Novel cerium‐ (Ce) and gallium (Ga)‐doped phosphate glasses (PGs) are successfully obtained by the peroxidation method. The new glasses are characterized using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‐OES), and pH measurements. A strong correlation between glass properties and their composition is found. The incorporation of Ga/Ce in the glass structure is confirmed by peak shifts in Raman and FTIR spectra. Degradation tests conducted in water confirm the soluble character of the PGs and reveal the influence of Ga and Ce on the degradation rate. Ga‐doped glasses are found to be less soluble than Ce‐doped ones (43%, 33%, 21%, and 16% of dry mass remained after 7 weeks for 7Ga, 5Ga, 5Ce, and 7Ce, respectively). Biological evaluation using ST‐2 cells shows adequate cell response with a cell viability of 80% measured using the indirect contact method depending on the composition. The cell viability decreases with an increase in Ga content and increases with Ce content. The antibacterial character of Ga/Ce‐doped PGs is confirmed by turbidity measurements against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus carnosus. The novel Ce/Ga‐doped PGs exhibiting antibacterial properties and biocompatibility reported here are interesting for tissue engineering and wound healing applications.