When researching titanium, it appears to be the ideal metal: titanium is lightweight, strong, ductile, shiny white-metallic, and corrosion-resistant. This makes it particularly suitable for applications where these properties are important. (1) However, it is not quite that simple. Dental implants are usually made of pure titanium. Dental implants are usually made of pure titanium. In addition to titanium alloys, cobalt/chromium and nickel/chromium alloys are also frequently used in orthopedic implants. (2) Authors write that the titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4 V (Ti64) is the most widely used due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, high corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. (3) 

In the case of dental implants, for example, compatibility depends on bone quality, smoking status, oral hygiene, and underlying conditions such as osteoporosis. However, individual immunological tolerance to titanium also plays an important role. (2) It is known that the implantation of materials in the body triggers a complex, dynamic foreign body reaction involving various types of immune cells that release different cytokines at the implantation site. 

In her current research, the scientist wants to examine precisely this immunological reaction at the implant-tissue interface step by step in a Petri dish. The initial assumption is that a thin oxide layer on its surface or a modified surface for various reasons, and not the titanium itself, comes into contact with the body. To achieve this, she produces sample substrates with differently structured titanium oxide layers that vary systematically in their heterogeneity. These substrates are then gradually exposed to increasingly complex body fluids, starting with water and ions, followed by fibrinogen, which is involved in the immune response and wound healing. Finally, the surfaces come into contact with living immune cells (macrophages). The entire process is monitored using high-resolution electron and atomic force microscopy.

EMPA is known for its animal-free developments in the field of ecotoxicology.

Further information:
https://www.empa.ch/web/s604/snf-ambizione-grant-martina-cihova

(1) Chemie.de (o. J. ). Titan (Element). https://www.chemie.de/lexikon/Titan_%28Element%29.html
(2) Raval, J., Kazi, A., Randolph, O., Guo, X., Zvanut, R., Lee, C. & Tai, B. (2023). Vergleich der Bearbeitbarkeit von additiv gefertigten und traditionell gekneteten Ti-6Al-4V-Legierungen durch Einpunktschneiden. Journal of Manufacturing Processes, Band 94, 2023,
Seiten 539-549, ISSN 1526-6125, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2023.03.041.
(3) Praxiszentrum Brüderstraße (o. J.). Labordiagnostik zum Ausschluss von Titanunverträglichkeiten. Titanimplantate - aber sicher. https://www.praxiszentrum-bruederstr.de/umweltmedizin/titanimplantate-aber-sicher/index.html