This chapter reviews biochemical and other interactions of cells with
bioactive glasses and related ceramics. An extensive amount of research
work has been carried out to improve the properties of bioactive
glasses. New silicate, borate/borosilicate, and phosphate glasses and
porous polymer composites have been reported and in some of them organic
effector molecules, structural macromolecules, or trace elements have
been added to stimulate cell proliferation, angiogenesis, osteogenesis,
or even soft tissue regeneration. Scaffolds have been designed for
delivery of drugs, proteins, and genes to obtain the desired local or
systemic effect. For the clinical success of the glass material, it
should be “bioactive,” should generate a Si-rich, carbonated apatite
layer, either stay indefinitely or disappear totally from tissues and
activate the repairing cells to synthesize tissue specific molecules.