Dual Structural Role of Niobium in Bioactive Borate Glasses Modulates Bioactivity, Cytocompatibility, and Hemostatic Potential.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Designing bioactive glasses with tunable biological responses requires a precise understanding of how network modifiers influence structure-property relationships. This work investigates the effect of incorporating niobium pentoxide (Nb 2 O 5 ) into melt-derived borate glasses, aiming to uncover how Nb affects the glass structure and its multifunctional biological performance. Glasses with nominal compositions: 60B 2 O 3 -(19- x /2)CaO-(19- x /2)Na 2 O-2P 2 O 5 - x Nb 2 O 5 ( x = 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt %) were synthesized and comprehensively characterized. A key finding is the dual structural role of Nb: it predominantly acts as a network former at ≤5 wt % and as a network modifier at higher contents. This transition directly influences the glass network connectivity, as supported by physical, thermal, and vibrational techniques, and reflected a conversion from BO 4 to BO 3 units with an increase in Nb content, correlating with a modification in hardness and elastic modulus. Structural changes also suppressed surface reactivity and ion release, leading to a modulation in hydroxycarbonate apatite formation in simulated body fluid. On the other hand, glasses containing Nb maintained or enhanced cytocompatibility with human adipose mesenchymal stem cells. In contrast, Nb-containing glasses demonstrated reduced hemostatic potential, likely due to Nb forming niobate complexes tha

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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