The direct engagement of hafnium (Hf) in biological processes or its critical function in living things is not well understood as of now. Unlike key elements like oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, which are necessary for life, Hf is not known to have any biological activities or functions. It is essential to acknowledge that scientific research is ongoing and that new findings may have been made. This systematic review aimed to aggregate and analyze the studies that discuss biomedical applications of Hf metal. This systematic review was conducted following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. The following search strategy was used: two independent researchers conducted electronic searches in databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar. The search was conducted up to August 2023 using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms "transition elements," "hafnium," and "biomedical research." Boolean operators "AND" and "OR" were used to refine the search. Electronic databases, along with hand searches, identified a total of 38 studies. The various database searches resulted in a total of 38 studies, of which 12 were excluded as duplicates, and five were unavailable for full-text data. The remaining 21 full-text articles were then assessed for their eligibility based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and finally, a total of 12 studies were included in the present systematic review. Among the 12 chosen studies, six were on cancer-related targeted radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, five were on bone or apatite-forming capabilities, and one was on the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The common outcome measures included cell proliferation, osteoblast formation, radiotherapy intensification, and immunotherapy. This review outlines an overall picture of the biomedical uses of Hf metal, a transition element, as a potent biomaterial. In conclusion, this transition element, Hf, has some promising scope in the fields of biomedicine, with a special focus in terms of cancer radiotherapy and osteogenic capabilities.
Keywords: biomedical; hafnium; hafnium compounds; implant osseointegration; radiotherapy (rt); transition metals.
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