Synthesis and characterization of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticlecontaining bioactive glasses by sol-gel method

Within the scope of the study, it was aimed to prepare silicate-based 13-93 bioactive glass powders containing superparamagnetic maghemite nanoparticles (2, 5, 10 and 20 wt%) for use in bone tissue engineering applications and osteosarcoma treatment. For this purpose, maghemite nanoparticles were synthesized using the co-precipitation technique, then bioactive glass composite powders containing maghemite nanoparticles were produced by sol-gel method. Structural, morphological, thermal and magnetic properties, in vitro bioactivity and in vitro cytotoxicity of prepared maghemite and bioactive glass particles were investigated. In vitro bioactivity studies were performed as a function of time in simulated body fluid (SBF) and the ability to form hydroxyapatite on the surfaces of glass particles was investigated. In vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized materials was investigated with osteosarcoma SaOS-2 and osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells using MTT method. Drug release behavior of the synthesized bioactive glass powders were investigated using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) that is a chemotherapeutic agent. The results revealed that the synthesized maghemite nanoparticles and bioactive glasses containing maghemite showed superparamagnetic properties. It has been understood that bioactive glasses containing up to 5% maghemite by weight have high bioactivity in SBF. The synthesized bioactive glass composites did not show cytotoxic response against osteosarcoma and osteoblastic cells after culturing for 1, 3 and 7 days. Drug release experiments showed that 5-FU-loaded bioactive glass powders exhibited sustained drug release behavior and drug release kinetics followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. Based on the overall results, it was concluded that the magnetic bioactive glasses prepared within the scope of the thesis, have a high potential to be used in cancer treatment through hyperthermia and anti-cancer drug delivery applications.