Bioactivity of Biosilica Obtained From North Atlantic Deep-Sea Sponges

• Published in: Frontiers in Marine Science
• Main Authors: Dudik, Olesia, Amorim, Sara, Xavier, Joana R., Rapp, Hans Tore, Silva, Tiago H., Pires, Ricardo A., Reis, Rui L.
• Other Authors: Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Frontiers Media SA 2021
• Subjects: Ocean Engineering; Water Science and Technology; Aquatic Science; Global and Planetary Change; Oceanography; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.637810; https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.637810/full

Demosponges are a well-known source of a plethora of bioactive compounds. In particular, they are able to form a skeleton by direct deposition of silica in a process catalyzed by silicatein. Herein, we isolated biosilicas from five different Atlantic deep-sea sponges Geodia atlantica (GA), Geodia barretti (GB), Stelletta normani (SN), Axinella infundibuliformis (AI), and Phakellia ventilabrum (PV) to explore the bioactivity and osteogenic capacity of its silica-based materials. We chemically characterized the isolated biosilicas and evaluated them for their bioactivity to deposit Ca and P on their surface (by immersion in simulated body fluid, SBF). GB-, SN-, AI-, and PV-based biosilicas did not generate a stable calcium phosphate (CaP) layer over time in the presence of SBF, however, the GA-derived one was able to form a CaP surface layer (at a Ca/P ratio of ∼1.7, similar to the one observed for hydroxyapatite), that was stable during the 28 days of testing. In addition, no cytotoxicity toward L929 and SaOs2 cells was observed for the GA-based biosilica up to a concentration of 10 mg/mL. Overall, the GA-based biosilica presents the characteristics to be used in the development of biomaterials for bone tissue engineering (BTE).