The Deposition of a Lectin from Oreochromis niloticus on the Surface of Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes Improve the Cell Adhesion, Proliferation, and Osteogenic Activity of Osteoblast-like Cells

Titanium and its alloys are used biomaterials for medical and dental applications, due to their mechanical and physical properties. The surface modifications of titanium with bioactive molecules can increase the osseointegration by improving the interface between the bone and implant. Titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2NTs) have excellent bioactivity inducing cell adhesion, spreading, growth and differentiation. In this work, TiO2NTs were functionalized with a lectin from the plasma of the fish Oreochromis niloticus aiming to favour the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblast-like cells, improving its biocompatibility. The TiO2NTs were obtained by anodization of titanium and annealed at 400 °C for 3 h. The resulting TiO2NTs were characterized by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The successfully incorporation of OniL on the surface of TiO2NTs by spin coating was demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIE) and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectrum (ATR-FTIR). Our results showed that TiO2-NTs were successfully synthesized in a regular and well-distributed way. The functionalization of TiO2-NTs with OniL favoured adhesion, proliferation, and the osteogenic activity of osteoblast-like cells, suggesting its use to improve the quality and biocompatibility of titanium-based biomaterials.