Exploring the Formation Kinetics of Octacalcium Phosphate from Alpha-Tricalcium Phosphate: Synthesis Scale-Up, Determination of Transient Phases, Their Morphology and Biocompatibility
Biomolecules 2023
Ilijana Kovrlija, K Menshikh, O Marsan, C Rey, C Combes, Jānis Ločs, Dagnija Loča

Even with decades of research studies behind octacalcium phosphate (OCP), determination of OCP phase formation has proved to be a cumbersome challenge. Even though obtaining a large quantity of OCP is important for potential clinical uses, it still remains a hindrance to obtain high yields of pure OCP. Taking that into consideration, the purpose of this study was to scale-up OCP synthesis for the first time and to use a multi-technique approach to follow the phase transformation pathway at multiple time points. In the present study, OCP has been synthesized from α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP), and subsequently scaled-up tenfold and hundredfold (100 mg → 10 g). The hydrolysis mechanism has been followed and described by using XRD and FTIR spectroscopy, as well as Raman and SEM. Gradual transformation into the OCP phase transpired through dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (brushite, DCPD, up to ~36%) as an intermediary phase. Furthermore, the obtained transitional phases and final OCP phases (across all scale-up levels) were tested with human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs), in order to see how different phase mixtures affect the cell viability, and also to corroborate the safety of the scaled-up product. Twelve out of seventeen specimens showed satisfactory percentages of cell viability and confirmed the prospective use of scaled-up OCP in further in vitro studies. The present study, therefore, provides the first scale-up process of OCP synthesis, an in depth understanding of the formation pathway, and investigation of the parameters able to contribute in the OCP phase formation.


Keywords
octacalcium phosphate; α-TCP; DCPD; calcium phosphate; hydrolysis; scale-up; mesenchymal stem cells; FTIR; XRD; Raman
DOI
10.3390/biom13030462
Hyperlink
https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/13/3/462

Kovrlija, I., Menshikh, K., Marsan, O., Rey, C., Combes, C., Ločs, J., Loča, D. Exploring the Formation Kinetics of Octacalcium Phosphate from Alpha-Tricalcium Phosphate: Synthesis Scale-Up, Determination of Transient Phases, Their Morphology and Biocompatibility. Biomolecules, 2023, Vol. 13, No. 3, Article number 462. e-ISSN 2218-273X. Pieejams: doi:10.3390/biom13030462

Publication language
English (en)
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