하이드록시아파타이트, HAp, Hydroxyapatite, 뼈구성물질

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a calcium phosphate similar to the human hard tissues in morphology and composition¹. Particularly, it has a hexagonal structure^{2, 3} and a stoichiometric Ca/P ratio of 1.67, which is identical to bone apatite^{2, 4, 5}.

An important characteristic of hydroxyapatite is its stability when compared to other calcium phosphates. Thermodynamically, hydroxyapatite is the most stable calcium phosphate compound under physiological conditions as temperature, pH and composition of the body fluids².

With the development of nanotechnology, a major impact on materials science has been noticed. The production of nanomaterials has gained considerable attention for adsorption, catalysis and optical applications, particularly when biomaterials are involved⁶.

Nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HAp) is attracting interest as a biomaterial for use in prosthetic applications due to its similarity in size, crystallography and chemical composition with human hard tissue. Bone and teeth enamel are largely composed of a form of this mineral. 

 

Due to its outstanding properties⁶:

 Biocompatibility
 Bioactivity
 Osteoconductivity
 Non toxicity and non inflammatory nature

The nano-hydroxyapatite bioceramic has got a variety of applications that include⁶:

 Bone tissue engineering
 Bone void fillers for orthopaedic, traumatology, spine, maxillofacial and dental surgery.
 Orthopedic and dental implant coating
 Restoration of periodontal defects
 Edentulous ridge augmentation
 Endodontic treatment like pulp capping
 Repair of mechanical furcation perforations and apical barrier formation
 Fillers for reinforcing restorative glass ionomer cement (GIC) and restorative composite resin
 Desensitizing agent in post teeth bleaching
 Remineralizing agent in toothpastes
 Early carious lesions treatment
 Drug and gene delivery

Name	Hydroxyapatite
Synonyms	Hydroxylapatite, Hydroxyl apatite, HAp, HA, Calcium Phosphatetribasic, Calcium Hydroxyphosphate
Chemical Formula	Ca10 (PO4)6 (OH)2
Molecular Weight	1004.6 g/mol
CAS Number	1306-06-5
EC Number	215-145-7

 

Titanium and stainless steel implants are often covered with hydroxyapatite coatings to trick the body and reduce the implant rejection rate. Hydroxyapatite can also be used in instances where there are bone voids or defects. This process is carried out through powders, blocks or beads of the material being placed in the affected areas of bone.

Due to its bioactivity, it encourages the bone to grow and restores the defect. This process can be an alternative to allogenic and xenogenic bone grafts. It typically results in healing times shorter than those observed if hydroxyapatite was not used. 

 

Experimental nanostructured composite air filters containing hydroxyapatite were found to be efficient in absorbing and decomposing CO, which could eventually lead to its use in reducing automotive exhaust pollutants¹⁰.

In 2014, an alginate/nano-hydroxyapatite composite was synthesized and field-tested as an adsorbent for fluoride. This biocomposite removed fluoride through an ion-exchange mechanism and is both biocompatible and biodegradable¹¹.

Recently, applications in catalysis^12-14 and protein separation¹⁵ were developed and successfully tested using nanostructured calcium phosphates, which suggests that many innovative applications for these materials are yet to come.

 

1. Wei G, Ma PX. Structure and properties of nano-hydroxyapatite/polymer composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Biomaterials. 2004;25(19):4749-57.

2. Kalita SJ, Bhardwaj A, Bhatt HA. Nanocrystalline calcium phosphate ceramics in biomedical engineering. Materials Science and Engineering: C. 2007;27(3):441-9.

3. Mostafa NY, Brown PW. Computer simulation of stoichiometric hydroxyapatite: Structure and substitutions. Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids. 2007;68(3):431-7.

4. Teixeira S, Rodriguez MA, Pena P, De Aza AH, De Aza S, Ferraz MP, et al. Physical characterization of hydroxyapatite porous scaffolds for tissue engineering. Materials Science and Engineering: C. 2009;29(5):1510-4.

5. Guo L, Huang M, Zhang X. Effects of sintering temperature on structure of hydroxyapatite studied with Rietveld method. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine. 2003;14(9):817-22.

6. Kantharia N, Naik S, Apte S, Kheur M, Kheur S, Kale B. Nano-hydroxyapatite and its contemporary applications. J Dent Res Sci Develop. 2014;1(1):15.

7. Ohta K, Kawamata H, Ishizaki T, Hayman R. Occlusion of Dentinal Tubules by Nano-Hydroxyapatite. J Dental Res. 2007;86(A).

8. Li L, Pan H, Tao J, Xu X, Mao C, Gu X, et al. Repair of enamel by using hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as the building blocks. Journal of Materials Chemistry. 2008;18(34):4079-84.

9. Hannig M, Hannig C. Nanomaterials in preventive dentistry. Nat Nano. 2010;5(8):565-9.

10. Nasr-Esfahani M, Fekri S. Alumina/TiO2/hydroxyapatite interface nanostructure composite filters as efficient photocatalysts for the purification of air. Reac Kinet Mech Cat. 2012;107(1):89-103.

11. Pandi K, Viswanathan N. Synthesis of alginate bioencapsulated nano-hydroxyapatite composite for selective fluoride sorption. Carbohydrate Polymers. 2014;112(0):662-7.

12. Okumura K, Kobayashi Y, Hiraoka R, Dubois JL, Devaux JF. Process for preparing catalyst used in production of acrolein and/or acrylic acid and process for preparing acrolein and/or acrylic acid by dehydration reaction of glycerin. Patent WO2013008279 A1.

13. Mekki-Berrada A, Bennici S, Gillet JP, Couturier JL, Dubois JL, Auroux A. Fatty acid methyl esters into nitriles: Acid–base properties for enhanced catalysts. Journal of Catalysis. 2013;306(0):30-7.

14. Stošić D, Bennici S, Sirotin S, Calais C, Couturier J-L, Dubois J-L, et al. Glycerol dehydration over calcium phosphate catalysts: Effect of acidic–basic features on catalytic performance. Applied Catalysis A: General. 2012;447–448(0):124-34.

15. Potty A, Xenopolous A. Removal of protein aggregates from biopharmaceutical preparations using calcium phosphate salts. US Patent 2011/0301333.