Calcium Phosphate Growth on Amelogenin Nanoribbons

Objectives: to show that amelogenin nanoribbons can act as templates for calcium phosphate mineralization.

Methods: Amelogenin nanoribbons were prepared from oil-water emulsions, and initially imaged using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to establish a control and then incubated in various [Ca/P] with saturation degree of 11, pH of 7.4, and 37˚C, with and without Fluoride of 0.002ppm. The samples were imaged using AFM after 24hr and 72hr incubation times.

Results: While no significant differences in width and length between pre and post-incubation time of amelogenin nanoribbons were observed, the height of amelogenin nanoribbons increased from an average of 4.7nm to 7.23nm after 72hrs of incubation; with no significant difference in heights between 24hr and 72hr incubation times. Also there was no difference between samples that were pre-treated with fluoride and those that were treated with saturated calcium phosphate solutions only.

Conclusions: The results of the study support the conclusion that amelogenin nanoribbons can provide a suitable backbone for calcium phosphate deposition and growth.