Ca²⁺-in vivo doped biosilica from living Thalassiosira weissflogii diatoms: investigation on Saos-2 biocompatibility

Diatoms represent a natural source of mesoporous silica whose applications range from biomedical to photonic fields. Porous hierarchically organized micro structures, the biosilica shells called frustules, can be obtained by removal of the organic biological matter from the unicellular living algae. Diatoms frustules have been investigated as scaffold for bone tissue growth taking advantage of their nanostructured surface and of the possibility to chemically modify the biosilica. Here we report on an easy way to calcium-doped biosilica supports for bone tissue regeneration by in vivo feeding the algae. FTIR and EDX analyses confirmed the incorporation of calcium into the mesopouros biosilica. Cell viability studies showed an ameliorative effect on the Saos-2 cells spreading compared with the cells grown on non-doped biosilica supports.