REF.: 1562 (EP1447104)
Inventors: A. Tampieri, G. Celotti, N. Roveri, E. Landi
Applicants: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (licensed)
Description
The present invention relates to a process of direct nucleation of an apatite phase on fibrils of collagen-similar natural polymers for the synthesis of artificial bone tissue, to the product thus obtained and to the use thereof. The present invention uses a biological approach for synthesizing hydroxyapatite nanocrystals on self-assembling collagen fibrils identical to natural bone nanocrystals, exploiting the ability of negatively charged collagen carboxylic groups to bind hydroxyapatite calcium ions; by following this approach it has been successfully shown that biological systems store and process information at molecular level. That is way molecules of collagen type I without telopeptides and free from glucosylated regions, which can self-aggregate into fibrils, without reticulating agents have been used as starting materials.
Contact: Anna Tampieri