article · ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Periodontal ligament damage caused by periodontitis or trauma requires effective repair methods to restore tissue stability. Researchers developed a collagen-based bioink loaded with periodontal ligament stem cells to direct the regeneration and organisation of periodontal ligament tissue. Formulated at concentrations of 10 and 15 milligrams per millilitre, the bioinks exhibited shear-thinning behaviour, porous microstructures, and stable swelling and degradation profiles. Both formulations supported high cell viability, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation, evaluated through marker expression and staining. Subcutaneous implantation in mice confirmed the biocompatibility of the cell-laden constructs. Furthermore, bioprinting the bioinks directly onto dental root fragments implanted in mice for up to ten weeks demonstrated stem cell migration to the root surface, alongside cellular alignment and tissue organisation. These results indicate that the collagen bioinks provide an extracellular matrix environment capable of supporting periodontal ligament repair.
Damage to the periodontal ligament from trauma or gum disease often leads to tooth instability and loss. By replicating the natural tissue environment using 3D bioprinting and stem cells, this approach shows how living scaffolds can guide cell alignment and integration onto tooth root surfaces, addressing a critical challenge in restorative dentistry.
The technology offers potential applications in regenerative dentistry, specifically for dental biomaterial developers and clinical specialists treating severe periodontal damage. Because the evidence is derived from laboratory material characterisation and small-animal studies over ten weeks, the innovation is at an applied, early experimental stage and remains distant from routine clinical adoption.
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Periodontitis and severe trauma are major causes of damage to the periodontal ligament (PDL). Repairing the native conditions of the PDL is essential for the stability of the tissue and its interfaces. Bioprinting periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) is an interesting approach to guide the regeneration of PDL and interfacial integration. Herein, a collagen-based bioink mimicking the native extracellular matrix conditions and carrying PDLSCs was tested to guide the periodontal ligament organization. The bioink was tested at two different concentrations (10 and 15 mg/mL) and characterized by swelling and degradation, microstructural organization, and rheological properties. The biological properties were assessed after loading PDLSCs into bioinks for bioprinting. The characterization was performed through cell viability, alizarin red assay, and expression for <i>ALP</i>, <i>COL1A1</i>, <i>RUNX2</i>, and <i>OCN</i>. The in vivo biocompatibility of the PDLSC-laden bioinks was verified using subcutaneous implantation in mice. Later, the ability of the bioprinted PDLSC-laden bioinks on dental root fragments to form PDL was also investigated <i>in vivo</i> in mice for 4 and 10 weeks. The bioinks demonstrated typical shear-thinning behavior, a porous microstructure, and stable swelling and degradation characteristics. Both concentrations were printable and provided suitable conditions for a high cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. PDLSC-laden bioinks demonstrated biocompatibility <i>in vivo</i>, and the bioprinted scaffolds on the root surface evidenced PDLSC alignment, organization, and PDLSC migration to the root surface. The versatility of collagen-based bioinks provides native ECM conditions for PDLSC proliferation, alignment, organization, and differentiation, with translational applications in bioprinting scaffolds for PDL regeneration.
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DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c13830
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