Influence of diamond powder particles on human gene expression

In compliance with the definition of biocompatibility, natiocrystalline diamond coatings covering medical implants first of all possess properties of the ideally biocompatible material, maintaining homeostasis of the intrinsic environment despite the presence of implant. The aim of the study was to confirm a high degree of diamond compatibility with the human organism in order to investigate the so called extended surface. For this reason, the diamond powder particles (DPP) was a subject of investigations. A novel assay for testing the biocompatibility of highly dispersed solid-state biomaterials was developed and applied to DPP preparation. The assay is based on the phenomenon of rapid upregulation of transcription of some cellular genes in response to various factors, which are interpreted by the cell as stressors by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The results of the study indicate that DPP have a very high bioactivity on molecular level. Diamond changes gene expression responsible for cancer, and inhibits activity of human neoplasmic cells cultured in vitro. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.