Biodegradable scaffolds based on plant stems for application in regenerative medicine.

Several synthetic and natural materials have been studied for the confection of temporary grafts for application in regenerative medicine, however, the development of a material with adequate properties remains a challenge, mainly because its degradation kinetics in biological systems. Nature provides materials with noble properties that can be used as such for many applications, thus, taking advantage of the available morphology and assembled structures of plants, we propose to study the vegetable stems for use as temporary graft. Since thedegradation is maybe one of the most important features of the temporary grafts, here we have implanted the plant stems from pumpkin, papaya, and castor into the subepithelial tissue of animals and followed their biodegradation process and the local inflammatory response.

Diacerein-induced interleukin-1β deficiency reduces the inflammatory infiltrate and immunoexpression of matrix metalloproteinase-8 in periodontitis in rat molars.

Background: Periodontitis is an immunoinflammatory disease that involves the release of cytokines and enzymes, including interleukin-1 (IL-1) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Diacerein is an anti-IL-1 drug used for the treatment of osteoarthritis. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether diacerein suppresses the inflammatory reaction and reduces the collagen degradation in the gingival connective tissue in periodontitis.