Evelopment of biofunctional graft structures for use in craniomaxillofacial surgery

In this thesis study, the aim was to develop graft structures that can support the repair and regeneration of craniomaxillofacial bone tissue, while also enabling biotechnological drug release. In this way, an innovative approach was proposed for synthetic tissue design and engineering. In the first stage of the study, mesoporous and non-porous bioactive glass nanoparticles doped with Ag and Gd ions were synthesized and characterized. In the second stage, experiments for the preparation and characterization of the synthetic extracellular matrix (ECM), which would serve as the main component of the graft structures, were conducted. To enhance the mechanical properties of the prepared GelMA based synthetic ECM and to enable controlled drug release, the previously synthesized bioactive glass nanoparticles were integrated into the structure and characterized. Through the incorporation of Ag and Gd ions into the bioactive glass framework, the resulting graft systems were endowed with antibacterial properties and osteogenic potential. In the final stage of the thesis, the bioactive glass- containing hydrogel structure was further functionalized with the bone morphogenetic protein BMP-2, and its biocompatibility was assessed via cell viability assays.