Influence of roughness on initial in vitro response of cells to Al2O3/Ce-TZP nanocomposite

Al 2 O 3 /Ce-TZP nanocomposite has been synthetized by a colloidal processing route and sintered in air atmosphere. The roughness surface of ATZ nanocomposite by sandblasting using materials with different particle size has been modified and its influence on the osteogenic differentiation has been performed in vitro growing a human osteoblast-like cell line, SaOs-2, and Human Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSC). The non-cytotoxicity and haemocompatibility of ATZ nanocomposite has been proved. An increase in the expression of BGLAP and IBSP genes was observed on samples sandblasted with white corundum (< 90 µm) whereas SPARC gene was upregulated on samples sandblasted with SiC (90–100 µm). Alumina-ceria-stabilized zirconia nanocomposite presented in this work exhibits a high potential for application in the fabrication of dental implants due to their biological behaviour and very promising mechanical properties.