Abstract
Osseointegration of metal prosthetic implants is a yet unresolved clinical need that depends on the interplay between the implant surface and bone cells. The lack of a relationship between bone cells and metal has traditionally been solved by coating the former with "organic" ceramics, such as hydroxyapatite. A novel approach is hereby presented, immobilizing covalently dendrimeric structures onto titanium implants. Amide-based amino terminal dendrons were synthetized and coupled to titanium surfaces in a versatile and controlled way. The dendritic moieties provide an excellent scaffold for the covalent immobilization of bioactive molecules, such as extracellular matrix (ECM) protein components or antibiotics. Herein, tripeptide arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motifs were used to decorate the dendritic scaffolds and their influence on cell adhesion and proliferation processes was evaluated.