Spire Corporation awarded grant to develop nanophase calcium phosphate coatings

Spire Corporation has announced that it has been awarded an SBIR Phase I grant for $156,878 from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop nanophase calcium phosphate coatings loaded with bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs).

The coatings will be used to improve bone integration into dental implants, leading to more rapid and reliable device fixation. The project takes advantage of Spire's unique nanocrystalline film deposition technology to produce coatings that control the release rate of BMPs. The coatings will maintain critical threshold concentrations of BMPs only at the implant site and provide a scaffold over which bone growth can occur.

Roger Little, Chairman and CEO of Spire, stated, "This grant will permit Spire to develop a new generation of biologically active coatings for dental implants. Calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite coatings have long been used to improve bony integration into these devices; however, faster, more reliable integration is desired. BMPs are naturally occurring proteins responsible for the regeneration and repair activities in bone. Their incorporation into medical device coatings will provide significantly enhanced integration compared to that which can be achieved using ceramic coatings alone. Spire's coating technology platform is flexible enough to permit incorporation of BMPs as well as other proteins and biologics. We expect the coatings to have applications in a wide range of orthopedic, dental, and other types of medical implants."