Diatom Biosilica: from Biosilicification to Bone Tissue Applications

Abstract

Bone tissue engineering has attracted a lot of research attention recently as an interdisciplinary subject aiming to restore, maintain, and improve the functions of bone. The procedure of bone tissue engineering is based on the combination of three main factors, including biomaterials, cells and bioactive molecules. Interestingly, the natural bone structure is quite similar to diatom biosilica and both of them are formed from biomineralization. Following the development of technology, mimicking natural phenomenon have become upward trend of engineered bone scaffold materials. Here, we summarize condensed knowledge about diatom biosilica formation, bone tissue engineering and recent advanced applications of diatom biosilica for bone tissue engineering.