Synthetic silicates, which are composed of simple or complex salts of silicic acids, are used in a wide range of industrial and consumer products, say food additives, glass and ceramic filler materials, and anti-caking agents. But that's not all as it has been found to have the potential for use in biomedical applications too.
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital have discovered that synthetic silicate nanoplatelets can induce stem cells to become bone cells without the need of additional bone-inducing factors like dexamethasone.
Synthetic silicate nanoplatelets, also known as layered clay, are said to be bioactive and have the ability to form physically crosslinked network with a range of natural and synthetic polymers.
Akhilesh Gaharwar, the first author of the study, said that the synthetic silicate nanoplatelets may be used to develop devices such as injectable tissue repair matrixes, bioactive fillers, or therapeutic agents for stimulating specific cellular responses in bone-related tissue engineering.
The findings were published online May 13, 2013 in Advanced Materials.
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