Biomedical informatics training for dental researchers.

Dental researchers collaborating closely with biomedical informaticians have achieved many advances in oral health research, such as in mapping human genetics and addressing oral health disparities. Advances will continue to increase as dental researchers and biomedical informaticians study each others' disciplines to increase the effectiveness of their collaborative research. The combined skills will greatly increase the effectiveness of dental research.

Engineering of tooth-supporting structures by delivery of PDGF gene therapy vectors.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) exerts potent effects on wound healing including the regeneration of tooth-supporting structures. Limitations of topical protein delivery to periodontal osseous defects include transient biological activity and the bioavailability of PDGF at the wound site. The objective of this investigation was to determine the feasibility of in vivo PDGF-B gene transfer to stimulate periodontal tissue regeneration in large tooth-associated alveolar bone defects in rats.

Bone regeneration via a mineral substrate and induced angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis and biomineral substrates play major roles in bone development and regeneration. We hypothesized that macroporous scaffolds of biomineralized 85:15 poly(lactide-co-glycolide), which locally release vascular endothelial growth factor-165 (VEGF), would direct simultaneous regeneration of bone and vascular tissue. The presence of a bone-like biomineral substrate significantly increased regeneration of osteoid matrix (32 +/- 7% of total tissue area; mean +/- SD; p < 0.

Localizing antibody-defined immunoreactivity in Porphyromonas gingivalis HtpG recognized by human serum utilizing selective protein expression.

Earlier studies suggested that specific immunoreactive domains of the prokaryotic homologue of Hsp90, HtpG, might contribute to the virulence of the periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) [J. Periodontol. 70 (1999) 1185].

Protein-based signaling systems in tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering aims to replace damaged tissues or organs using either transplanted cells or host cells recruited to the target site. Protein signaling is crucial to regulate cell phenotype and thus engineered tissue structure and function. Biomaterial vehicles are being designed to incorporate and locally deliver various molecules involved in this signaling, including both growth factors and peptides that mimick whole proteins.

Nano-fibrous scaffolding architecture selectively enhances protein adsorption contributing to cell attachment.

Tissue engineering aims at resolving problems such as donor shortage and immune rejection faced by transplantation. Scaffolds (artificial extracellular matrices) have critical roles in tissue engineering. Recently, we developed nano-fibrous poly(L-lactic acid) scaffolds under the hypothesis that synthetic nano-fibrous scaffolding, mimicking the structure of natural collagen fibers, could create a more favorable microenvironment for cells.

Management of incision design in symphysis graft procedures: a review of the literature.

Symphysis graft procedures are being performed in clinical practice more frequently than ever before. Convenient surgical access, proximity of donor and recipient sites, low morbidity, availability of larger quantities of bone over other donor sites, minimal resorption, no hospitalization, and minimal discomfort are some advantages of this procedure over other intraoral sites. Three types of horizontal incisions can be performed during this procedure: the sulcular, the marginal, and the alveolar mucosal.

Guidelines for periodontal prostheses serve esthetic and functional demands: a case report.

Periodontal-prosthesis guidelines have long been defined to specifically address dental reconstructions after moderate to advanced periodontal disease has occurred. More recently, specific dental techniques and materials have shown promise in addressing patients' increasing esthetic demands. However, treatment planning to achieve pleasing results for patients with advanced periodontitis requires a complex, multispecialty approach that is rarely discussed.

Engineering vascular networks in porous polymer matrices.

Enhanced vascularization is critical to the treatment of ischemic tissues and the engineering of new tissues and organs. We have investigated whether sustained and localized delivery of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) combined with transplantation of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) can be used to engineer new vascular networks. VEGF was incorporated and released in a sustained manner from porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLG) matrices to promote angiogenesis at the transplantation site.

Palatal development in Twirler mice.

Objective: The development of the secondary palate of Twirler (Tw) mice was characterized, and a quantitative coronal plane evaluation of the width and length of the craniofacial regions of homozygous mutant embryos was conducted.

Results And Conclusions: The secondary palatal shelves were retarded in growth and the timing of elevation from a vertical to horizontal position. The homozygous Tw embryos, when compared with their wild-type littermates, also had a significantly wider midface.

Phenotypic and molecular analyses of A/WySn mice.

Objective: Since its first description, the A strain of mice have been utilized extensively as models to study the processes involved in clefting of the midfacial region. Of the A substrains, the A/WySn has a spontaneous rate of clefting of the lip of about 20% to 30%. The A/WySn mouse model was utilized in this study to analyze and compare the phenotypic and molecular changes in the midfacial region of embryos with and without cleft.

Fracture strength and survival rate of endodontically treated maxillary incisors with approximal cavities after restoration with different post and core systems: an in-vitro study.

Objectives: This study compared the fracture strength and survival rate of endodontically treated crowned maxillary incisors with approximal class III cavities and different core build-ups.

Methods: Sixty-four caries free human maxillary central incisors were selected for standardized size and quality, endodontically treated and prepared with approximal cavities 3mm in diameter. Group 1 was restored with titanium posts, group 2 received zirconia posts, in group 3 the root canal was partially filled with a hybrid composite.

Microtubular architecture of biodegradable polymer scaffolds.

It is a relatively new approach to generate tissues with mammalian cells and scaffolds (temporary synthetic extracellular matrices). Many tissues, such as nerve, muscle, tendon, ligament, blood vessel, bone, and teeth, have tubular or fibrous bundle architectures and anisotropic properties. In this work, we have designed and fabricated highly porous scaffolds from biodegradable polymers with a novel phase-separation technique to generate controllable parallel array of microtubular architecture.

Synthetic nano-fibrillar extracellular matrices with predesigned macroporous architectures.

Scaffolding plays a pivotal role in tissue engineering. To mimic the architecture of a natural extracellular matrix component-collagen, nona-fibrous matrices have been created with synthetic biodegradable polymers in our laboratory using a phase-separation technique. To improve the cell seeding, distribution, mass transport, and new tissue organization, three-dimensional macroporous architectures are built in the nano-fibrous matrices.