ANTIBIOTIC FUNCTIONALIZATION OF HYBRID BIOMATERIALS FOR APPLICATIONS IN ORAL SURGERY. AN IN VITRO STUDY.

AIM: Complex clinical conditions in oral medicine are often associated with impaired healing and persistent local infection. In these settings, the efficacy of systemic antibiotics may be limited by poor tissue penetration and bacterial biofilm. Antibiotic-functionalized hybrid biomaterials may represent a promising strategy, combining local antimicrobial delivery with bioactive support for bone tissue regeneration. METHODS: A hybrid scaffold (HS), synthesized through a biomineralization process of Type I collagen with magnesium-doped hydroxyapatite, was used for its ability to support bone healing and provide localized antibiotic delivery. Commercial metronidazole (MDZ), commonly used in dentistry, was selected for this study. Drug-loaded HS were incubated in water-based solution at 37°C. The antibiotic release profile was evaluated by UV-Vis test at different time points over 1 week. RESULTS: The MDZ loading approach was optimized for clinical adaptability. The MDZ concentration was selected to obtain a sustained drug release, in a clinically relevant dose. CONCLUSION: The results support the potential application in several clinical settings, including medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, osteoradionecrosis, and tooth extraction procedures in patients at risk of developing these conditions. HS regenerative efficacy is already well documented, together with promising preliminary data on local antibiotic release. Further studies are currently underway to evaluate the combined release with amoxicillin and antibacterial efficacy, in order to confirm its translational potential in the clinical setting.