Thiol modification of silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite nanocrystals facilitates fluorescent labelling and visualisation of cellular internalisation.

Calcium phosphates are used widely as orthopaedic implants and in nanocrystalline form to enable the transfer of genetic material into cells. Despite widespread use, little is known about their fate after they have crossed the cell membrane. Here we present a method of surface modification of silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite (SiHA) through a silane group, which enables the engraftment of a fluorescent dye to facilitate real-time biological tracking.

Comparing the efficacy of three bioceramic matrices for the release of vancomycin hydrochloride.

A number of calcium phosphate materials have been investigated as drug release matrices for the prophylactic treatment of implant-related osteomyelitis. However, some studies have shown the influence of processing on the efficacy of the delivered drug. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of pH during processing on the efficacy of vancomycin hydrochloride (VH) against Staphylococcus aureus.