Volume 52, Issue 22 pp. 5762-5766
Communication

Multiphase Intrafibrillar Mineralization of Collagen

Dr. Li-na Niu

Dr. Li-na Niu

School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an (P.R. China)

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Dr. Kai Jiao

Dr. Kai Jiao

School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an (P.R. China)

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Dr. Heonjune Ryou

Dr. Heonjune Ryou

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, 21250 (USA)

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Dr. Cynthia K. Y. Yiu

Dr. Cynthia K. Y. Yiu

Prince Philip Dental Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR (P.R. China)

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Dr. Ji-hua Chen

Corresponding Author

Dr. Ji-hua Chen

School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an (P.R. China)

Ji-hua Chen, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an (P.R. China)

Franklin R. Tay, School of Graduate Studies, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912-1129 (USA)

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Dr. Lorenzo Breschi

Dr. Lorenzo Breschi

Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste; IGM, C.N.R.–IOR, Bologna (Italy)

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Dr. Dwayne D. Arola

Dr. Dwayne D. Arola

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, 21250 (USA)

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Dr. David H. Pashley

Dr. David H. Pashley

School of Graduate Studies, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912-1129 (USA)

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Dr. Franklin R. Tay

Corresponding Author

Dr. Franklin R. Tay

School of Graduate Studies, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912-1129 (USA)

Ji-hua Chen, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an (P.R. China)

Franklin R. Tay, School of Graduate Studies, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912-1129 (USA)

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First published: 18 April 2013
Citations: 45

This research was supported by grant R01 DE015306-06 from NIDCR (to D.H.P.), ERA and IRRM awards from Georgia Health Sciences University (to F.R.T.), National Nature Science Foundation of China grant 81130078 (to J.H.C.), and National Key Basic Research Program of China grant 2012CB526704 (to J.H.C.). The murine mesenchymal stem cell line employed in this study was provided by the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Scott & White Hospital through grant P40-RR-017447 from the National Center for Research Resources, U.S. National Institutes of Health. We thank Frankie Chan from the University of Hong Kong for his help in STEM–EDX analysis.

Graphical Abstract

Why waste space? In the first stage of the multiphase biomineralization of collagen, silicic acid precursors (purple) infiltrated the collagen fibril (yellow) and condensed into amorphous silica to give a hierarchical composite. Amorphous calcium phosphate precursors (red) then filled the intrafibrillar spaces of the silicified collagen, where the precipitation and maturation of apatite crystallites (blue) occurred to complete the process.

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