It is generally accepted that bone crystals are nucleated in the interstices of an organic matrix, such as collagen fibrils, but it remains unresolved whether nucleation is activated directly by the matrix or indirectly through non-collagenous proteins absorbed in the hole zones. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of native extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which are known as ligands in reactions with cell surface receptors involved in bone physiology, on the nucleation and growth of hydroxyapatite (HA). The osteoblast-like cell line SAOS-2 is used to synthesize and assemble its own ECM on solid substrates under standard cell culture conditions. After selective removal of cells, a thin film of ECM on the substrates of stainless steel (SS), silicon (S) and silica glass (SG) was obtained. The so-modified surfaces were immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF), which resembles the ionic composition of human blood plasma. The grown HA layer was studied by XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopies, SEM, and EDX.

Keywords: Extracellular Matrix, hydroxyapatite, Stainless Steel, Silicon, Silica Glass