Guidance for evaluating biomaterials' properties and biological potential for dental pulp tissue engineering and regeneration research.

Background: Dental pulp regeneration is a complex and advancing field that requires biomaterials capable of supporting the pulp's diverse functions, including immune defense, sensory perception, vascularization, and reparative dentinogenesis. Regeneration involves orchestrating the formation of soft connective tissues, neurons, blood vessels, and mineralized structures, necessitating materials with tailored biological and mechanical properties. Numerous biomaterials have entered clinical practice, while others are being developed for tissue engineering applications.

Combined catalytic strategies applied to in-office tooth bleaching: whitening efficacy, cytotoxicity, and gene expression of human dental pulp cells in a 3D culture model.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of using a 3D model with human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) to compare bleaching therapies and assess whether coating enamel with a nanofiber scaffold (NS) and polymeric catalyst primer (PCP), combined with violet LED (LEDv) irradiation, enhances bleaching efficacy (BE) and reduces cytotoxicity (CT).

Materials And Methods: After using NS + PCP to cover enamel of enamel/dentin discs adapted to artificial pulp chambers containing 3D culture with HDPCs, a bleaching gel with 35%HO was applied and then irradiated with LEDv. The following groups were established (n = 8): NC - no treatment; PC- 35%HO for 45 min, and EXP: NS + PCP + 35%HO + LEDv for 15 min.

Identifying the Number of Steps Required for Familiarisation to Athletic Footwear in Healthy Older Adults.

Introduction: Research on athletic footwear familiarisation within an older population is sparse. This is problematic because unfamiliar footwear may act as a new perturbation and modify older adults' walking gait and stability. In addition, while athletic footwear has been suggested to enhance older adults' comfort and support during activities of daily living, the necessary period for familiarisation with athletic footwear is unknown.

Photo-crosslinkable hydrogel incorporated with bone matrix particles for advancements in dentin tissue engineering.

The objective of this study was to create injectable photo-crosslinkable biomaterials, using gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel, combined with a decellularized bone matrix (BMdc) and a deproteinized (BMdp) bovine bone matrix. These were intended to serve as bioactive scaffolds for dentin regeneration. The parameters for GelMA hydrogel fabrication were initially selected, followed by the incorporation of BMdc and BMdp at a 1% (w/v) ratio.

Chitosan-Calcium Aluminate as a Cell-homing Scaffold: Its Bioactivity Testing in a Microphysiological Dental Pulp Platform.

models of the dental pulp microenvironment have been proposed for the assessment of biomaterials, to minimise animal use in operative dentistry. In this study, a scaffold/3-D dental pulp cell culture interface was created in a microchip, under simulated dental pulp pressure, to evaluate the cell-homing potential of a chitosan (CH) scaffold functionalised with calcium aluminate (the 'CHAlCa scaffold'). This microphysiological platform was cultured at a pressure of 15 cm HO for up to 14 days; cell viability, migration and odontoblastic differentiation were then assessed.

Effect of medium or high concentrations of in-office dental bleaching gel on the human pulp response in the mandibular incisors.

Objectives: The present study evaluated the pulp response of human mandibular incisors subjected to in-office dental bleaching using gels with medium or high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (HP).

Materials And Methods: The following groups were compared: 35% HP (HP35; = 5) or 20% HP (HP20; = 4). In the control group (CONT; = 2), no dental bleaching was performed.

Assessment of the regenerative potential of macro-porous chitosan-calcium simvastatin scaffolds on bone cells.

This study evaluated the bioactive potential of a macro-porous chitosan scaffold incorporated with calcium hydroxide (CH-Ca) and functionalized with bioactive doses of simvastatin (SV) for bone tissue regeneration. Initially, the bioactive dose of SV in osteoblastic cells (SAOS-2) was determined. For the direct contact experiment, SAOS-2 cells were plated on scaffolds to assess cell viability and osteogenic differentiation.

Regenerating the Dental Pulp-Scaffold Materials and Approaches.

Novel technologies and platforms have allowed significant breakthroughs in dental pulp tissue engineering. The development of injectable scaffolds that can be combined with stem cells, growth factors, or other bioactive compounds has enabled the regeneration of functional dental pulps able to secrete dentin in preclinical and clinical studies. Similarly, cell-homing technologies and scaffold-free strategies aim to modulate dental pulp self-regeneration mediated by resident stem cells and can evade some of the technical challenges related to cell-based tissue engineering strategies.

Poly(caprolactone)-aligned nanofibers associated with fibronectin-loaded collagen hydrogel as a potent bioactive scaffold for cell-free regenerative endodontics.

Aim: Guided tissue regeneration has been considered a promising strategy to replace conventional endodontic therapy of teeth with incomplete root formation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a tubular scaffold (TB-SC) with poly (caprolactone)-aligned nanofibres associated with a fibronectin (FN)-loaded collagen hydrogel and assess the pulp regeneration potential mediated by human apical papilla cells (hAPCs) using an in vitro model of teeth with incomplete root formation.

Methodology: Aligned nanofibre strips based on 10% poly(caprolactone) (PCL) were synthesized with the electrospinning technique to produce the TB-SCs.

Manganese oxide increases bleaching efficacy and reduces the cytotoxicity of a 10% hydrogen peroxide bleaching gel.

Objective: The study aims to assess the effects of a 10% HO bleaching gel with different MnO concentrations on the bleaching efficacy (BE), degradation kinetics (DK) of HO, and trans-amelodentinal cytotoxicity (TC).

Materials And Methods: Standardized bovine enamel/dentin disks (n = 96) were placed in artificial pulp chambers, and the bleaching gels were applied for 45 min. Thus, the following groups were established: (G1) no treatment (negative control/NC); (G2) 35% HO (positive control/PC); (G3) 10% HO; (G4) 10% HO + 2 mg/mL MnO; (G5) 10% HO + 6 mg/mL MnO; and (G6) 10% HO + 10 mg/mL MnO.

Pro-inflammatory mediators expression by pulp cells following tooth whitening on restored enamel surface.

This paper aimed to assess the influence of adhesive restoration interface on the diffusion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), indirect toxicity, and pro-inflammatory mediators expression by odontoblast-like cells, after in-office tooth whitening. Dental cavities prepared in bovine enamel/dentin discs were adhesively restored and subjected or not to hydrolytic degradation (HD). A whitening gel with 35% H2O2 (WG) was applied for 45 min onto restored and non-restored specimens adapted to artificial pulp chambers giving rise to the groups: SD- intact discs (control); SD/HP- whitened intact discs; RT/HP- restored and whitened discs; and RT/HD/HP- restored and whitened discs subjected to HD.

Strategy for reducing cytotoxicity and obtaining esthetic efficacy with 15 min of in-office dental bleaching.

Objectives: Evaluate in vitro the esthetic efficacy and cytotoxicity of a bleaching gel containing 35% hydrogen peroxide (BG-35%HO), applied for different time intervals, on enamel coated or not with polymeric biomaterials.

Materials And Methods: Nanofiber scaffolds (NSc) and a primer catalyst (PrCa) were used to coat the bovine enamel/dentin discs before the application of BG-35%HO, according to the following groups: G1-negative control (NC, without treatment); G2, G3, and G4-BG-35%HO applied for 3 × 15, 2 × 15, and 15 min; G5, G6, and G7-BG-35%HO applied on enamel coated with NSc and PrCa for 3 × 15; 2 × 15, and 15 min, respectively. The culture medium with components of gel diffused through the discs was applied on MDPC-23 cells, which were evaluated regarding to viability (VB), integrity of the membrane (IM), and oxidative stress (OxS).

Injectable Multifunctional Drug Delivery System for Hard Tissue Regeneration under Inflammatory Microenvironments.

Engineering multifunctional hydrogel systems capable of amplifying the regenerative capacity of endogenous progenitor cells via localized presentation of therapeutics under tissue inflammation is central to the translation of effective strategies for hard tissue regeneration. Here, we loaded dexamethasone (DEX), a pleotropic drug with anti-inflammatory and mineralizing abilities, into aluminosilicate clay nanotubes (halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs)) to engineer an injectable multifunctional drug delivery system based on photo-cross-linkable gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel. In detail, a series of hydrogels based on GelMA formulations containing distinct amounts of DEX-loaded nanotubes was analyzed for physicochemical and mechanical properties and kinetics of DEX release as well as compatibility with mesenchymal stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs).

Dose- and time-dependent effects of taxifolin on viability and mineralization markers of osteoblast-like cells.

The current study evaluated the effects of taxifolin treatments on the viability of osteoblast-like cells, and on the expression of early mineralization markers, as part of the ongoing search for new endodontic materials able to induce periapical healing without causing cytotoxicity. Saos-2 osteoblast-like cells were exposed to different concentrations of taxifolin (5 and 10 µM), applied as pretreatments either for 24h and 72h, or continuously throughout the experimental protocol. Cell viability using the methylthiazole tetrazolium (MTT) assay, alkaline phosphatase activity using thymolphthalein monophosphate assays, deposition of mineralized nodules using alizarin red staining, and expression of ALP and COL-1 by qPCR were determined after 6 and 13 days of treatment.

Clients' perception of referral and veterinary specialists in a U.K. small animal referral hospital.

Background: A 2011 RCVS report published following review of veterinary referral and specialisation suggested that the general public may have a lack of understanding of what constitutes specialisation. Our questionnaire study evaluated client understanding of the term 'Specialist' and the information obtained prior to referral.

Methods: Questionnaires were completed prior to consultation.

Bioactivity effects of extracellular matrix proteins on apical papilla cells.

Background: Potent signaling agents stimulate and guide pulp tissue regeneration, especially in endodontic treatment of teeth with incomplete root formation.

Objective: This study evaluated the bioactive properties of low concentrations of extracellular matrix proteins on human apical papilla cells (hAPCs).

Methodology: Different concentrations (1, 5, and 10 µg/mL) of fibronectin (FN), laminin (LM), and type I collagen (COL) were applied to the bottom of non-treated wells of sterilized 96-well plates.

Polymeric biomaterials maintained the esthetic efficacy and reduced the cytotoxicity of in-office dental bleaching.

Evaluate the kinetics of hydrogen peroxide (H O ) degradation, esthetic efficacy and cytotoxicity of a bleaching gel with 35%H O applied on enamel previously covered or not with polymeric nanofibrillar scaffold (SNan), polymeric primer catalyst (PPol), and both. Standardized enamel/dentin discs (n = 128) obtained from bovine teeth were adapted to pulp chambers. After covering enamel with the polymeric products, the bleaching gel was applied for 45 min, establishing the following groups: G1: no treatment (negative control); G2: 35%H O (positive control); G3: SNan; G4: PPol; G5: SNan + PPol; G6: SNan + 35%H O ; G7: PPol + 35%H O ; G8: SNan + PPol + 35%H O .

Platform technologies for regenerative endodontics from multifunctional biomaterials to tooth-on-a-chip strategies.

Objectives: The aim of this review is to highlight recent progress in the field of biomaterials-mediated dental pulp tissue engineering. Specifically, we aim to underscore the critical design criteria of biomaterial platforms that are advantageous for pulp tissue engineering, discuss models for preclinical evaluation, and present new and innovative multifunctional strategies that hold promise for clinical translation.

Materials And Methods: The current article is a comprehensive overview of recent progress over the last 5 years.

Fibronectin-loaded Collagen/Gelatin Hydrogel Is a Potent Signaling Biomaterial for Dental Pulp Regeneration.

Introduction: Guided tissue regeneration has been considered a promising biological strategy to replace conventional endodontic therapies of teeth with incomplete root formation. Therefore, in the present study, a collagen/gelatin hydrogel either containing dosages of fibronectin (FN), or not, was developed and assessed concerning their bioactive and chemotactic potential on human apical papilla cells (hAPCs).

Methods: Hydrogels were prepared by varying the ratio of collagen and gelatin (Col/Gel; v/v), and used to establish the following groups: Collagen (positive control); Col/Gel 4:6; Col/Gel 6:4; Col/Gel 8:2.

Response of pulp cells to resin infiltration of enamel white spot-like lesions.

Objectives: To investigate the trans-enamel and trans-dentinal biological effects of treating enamel white spot-like lesions (EWSLs) with resin infiltration components (RICs) on odontoblast-like cells (MDPC-23) and human dental pulp cells (HDPCs).

Methods: EWSLs were induced in 60 enamel/dentin discs (4.0 ± 0.

Development of fibronectin-loaded nanofiber scaffolds for guided pulp tissue regeneration.

Fibronectin (FN)-loaded nanofiber scaffolds were developed and assessed concerning their bioactive potential on human apical papilla cells (hAPCs). First, random (NR) and aligned (NA) nanofiber scaffolds of polycaprolactone (PCL) were obtained by electrospinning technique and their biological properties were evaluated. The best formulations of NR and NA were loaded with 0, 5, or 10 μg/ml of FN and their bioactivity was assessed.