The effect of the surface modification of titanium using a recombinant fragment of fibronectin and vitronectin on cell behavior.

The surface of titanium implants is in direct contact with host tissue and plays a critical role in determining biocompatibility. Fibronectin (FN) and vitronectin (VN) are major cell adhesive proteins found in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of various tissues, and in circulating blood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the engineered biomimetic surface of titanium by using recombinant fragment of FN(8-10) and VN(NTD) that contains the binding site for integrins. MC3T3-E1 cells seeded upon the FN(8-10)-coated titanium showed a marked increase in cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation over VN(NTD)-coated titanium. In addition, we confirmed that the surface properties of titanium prefer for FN(8-10) over VN(NTD) (p<0.05) in protein adhesion. These results suggest that the FN(8-10)-modified titanium surface can be used to improve the osseointegration of titanium implants by enhancing bone formation.