Biocompatibility of different nanomaterials
Since many centuries, people have been using different materials to substitute missing parts of human bodies (gold plates in the sculls of ancient Egyptians, dental implants). For this purpose they have used different materials achieving various levels of success. Thus, it is very important for potentially used material to be compatible with the human body. Having this on our mind, first studies which should be carried on with new materials are tests for biocompatibility of material with respect to cellular proliferation and death as well as to possible immunological responses.
In our laboratory we used materials like nanocrystalline diamonds and carbon nanotubes , which are of organic (carbon) origin as well as titanium nanotubes and different polymers. From these materials, thin films are formed on different substrates, so the cells grow on solid surface with specific nanotopography, which could be modified to various forms. Our collaborators from Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic as well as from German Universities provide us with such materials, which we first test for biocompatibility (cytotoxicity) and then use for further investigations.
Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) - ion etching
Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) - oxygen plasma treatment