Research on bioceramics has evolved from the use of inert materials for mere substitution of living tissues towards the development of third-generation bioceramics aimed at inducing bone tissue regeneration. Within this context hybrid bioceramics have remarkable features resulting from the synergistic combination of both inorganic and organic components that make them suitable for a wide range of medical applications. Certain bioceramics, such as ordered mesoporous silicas, can exhibit different kind of interaction with organic molecules to develop different functions. The weak interaction of these host matrixes with drug molecules confined in the mesoporous channels allows these hybrid systems to be used as controlled delivery devices. Moreover, mesoporous silicas can be used to fabricate three (3D)-dimensional scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. In this last case, different osteoinductive agents (peptides, hormones and growth factors) can be strongly grafted to the bioceramic matrix to act as attracting signals for bone cells to promote bone regeneration process. Finally, recent research examples of organic-inorganic hybrid bioceramics, such as stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems and nanosystems for targeting of cancer cells and gene transfection, are also tackled in this tutorial review (64 references).

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) are receiving growing attention by the scientific community for their groundbreaking potential in nanomedicine. It is possible to load huge amounts of cargo into the mesopore voids and capping the pore entrances with different nanogates. Different internal or external stimuli can provoke the nanocap removal and trigger the departure of the cargo, which permits the design of stimuli-responsive drug delivery nanodevices. It is also feasible to combine the multifunctionality of MSNPs with the wide range of applications of magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs), giving rise to advanced smart nanosystems whose features and functionality can be tailored attending to specific clinical needs. This review describes the possible combinations of MSNPs, stimuli-responsive nanocaps and mNPs and the current scientific challenges aimed at accelerating the progression from bench to bedside.Montserrat Colilla was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1975. She studied chemistry at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and received her PhD degree there in 2004, after a predoctoral fellowship at Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research. In 2005 she moved to the Department of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, where she is Associate Professor since 2011. Her research is focused on bioceramics for bone tissue regeneration and drug delivery applications. She has many publications in international scientific journals and book chapters on organic-inorganic hybrid materials and ordered mesoporous materials for biomedical applications. Blanca GonzálezBlanca González was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1974. She graduated in Chemistry at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (1998) and received her PhD degree from the same university (2003) on the field of electroactive organometallic macromolecules. In 2006 she moved to the Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, where she currently holds an Associate Professor position. Her research interests are focused on organic-inorganic hybrid materials, including dendritic macromolecules and bioceramics, for biomedical applications and nanomedicine.

No abstract