Post by Marc Bohner

I’m pleased to share our latest publication in Materials Today Bio: Copper-doped β-tricalcium phosphate: synthesis, characterization, and in vitro osteoclastic resorption In this study, we investigated how copper incorporation in β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) influences the microstructure of the material and its resorption by osteoclasts. Key findings: 🔬 A small amount of copper (~0.1 wt%) enhanced localized osteoclastic resorption, creating deeper resorption pits. ⚙️ Higher copper concentrations progressively reduced resorption, with complete inhibition observed at the highest levels tested. 🧪 At higher doping levels, copper segregated as CuO at grain boundaries, highlighting how dopant distribution can influence biological response. These results show that trace dopants can strongly modulate the biological behavior of calcium phosphate biomaterials, and identify an optimal copper concentration for tuning the resorption of β-TCP bone graft substitutes. Many thanks to Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF and my co-authors and collaborators for this work: Bastien Le Gars Santoni, Ph.D, Nicola Döbelin, Silvia Dolder, Roman Heuberger, Yassine Maazouz, Christoph Stähli, Paul Bowen, Willy Hofstetter, Pascal Michel, Olivier Loeffel, Luzia Burkhard-Niggli, Gabrielle Sblendorio, Duncan Alexander, Isabelle Heimgartner, and Jean-Christophe Hornez. 📄 Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/efVnbWwy #Biomaterials #BoneRegeneration #CalciumPhosphate #Bioceramics #BoneSubstitutes #MaterialsScience