Fabrication of Curcumin‐Modified TiO2 Nanoarrays via Cyclodextrin Based Polymer Functional Coatings for Osteosarcoma Therapy

Abstract The incomplete removal of bone tumors leads to increased local recurrence and poor prognosis. To prevent ostoperative tumor recurrence and simultaneously repair surgery‐caused bone defects, there is a need of great significance to develop implantable biomaterials possessing both cancer cell‐killing ability and excellent bioactivity. In this work, a functionalized titanium‐based implant is successfully fabricated by loading curcumin (CUR) onto cyclodextrin based polymer (pCD) modified titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanorod arrays. Herein, a polydopamine (pDA) assisted film is implemented as a first coating layer onto the surface of the TiO 2 nanoarrays to guarantee the robust anchorage of the pCD. The pCD coating acts as a reservoir for CUR, allowing for efficient drug loading and sustained release of anticancer drugs. Studies show that the CUR‐modified surfaces (TiO 2 /pDA/pCD/CUR) can significantly promote apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells in vitro by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction caused by the ROS overproduction, and meanwhile, effectively inhibit the tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, such functionalized implants with surface density of loaded CUR at 22.48 µg cm −2 or lower support the attachment and proliferation of osteoblasts in vitro. These results successfully demonstrate that as‐prepared TiO 2 /pDA/pCD/CUR constructs have combined anticancer performance and good biocompatibility, which has great promise for the surgical therapy of bone tumors.