In recent years, dental implants have become the preferred approach for the restoration of missing teeth. At present, most dental implants are made of pure titanium, and are affected by peri-implantitis and bone resorption, which usually start from the implant neck, due to the complex environment in this region. To address these issues, in this study we modified the surface of titanium (Ti) implants to exploit the antibacterial and osteoinductive effects of single-layer graphene sheets. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown single-layer graphene sheets were transferred to titanium discs, and a method for improving the adhesion strength of graphene on Ti was developed due to compromised adhesion strength between graphene and titanium surface. A thermal treatment of 2 h at 160 °C was found to enhance the adhesion strength of graphene on Ti to facilitate clinical transformation. Graphene coatings of Ti enhanced cell adhesion and osteogenic differentiation, and imparted antibacterial activity to Ti substrate; these favorable effects were not affected by the thermal treatment. In summary, the present study elucidated the effects of a thermal treatment on the adhesion strength and osteoinductive activity of single-layer graphene sheets on titanium substrates.
In recent years, although several studies have demonstrated the potential of graphene-coated substrates in promoting attachment, proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the effects of single-layer graphene on the osteogenic differentiation of human MSCs (hMSCs) remains unclear, especially in vivo. In this study, we transferred chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown single-layer graphene to glass slides and observed its effects on adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs) in vitro. Then, in vivo, we incubated hASCs and hBMMSCs on single-layer graphene-coated smooth titanium (Ti) disks before implanting them into the back subcutaneous area of nude mice. We found that single-layer graphene accelerated cell adhesion to the substrate without influencing cell proliferation of hMSCs. Moreover, we present the first study that explores the epigenetic role of single-layer graphene in determining stem cell fate. By utilizing epigenetic approaches, we reveal that single-layer graphene promotes osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs both in vitro and in vivo, potentially by upregulating methylation of H3K4 at the promoter regions of osteogenesis-associated genes. Overall, our results highlight the potential of this material in implants and injured tissues in clinical applications.
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