Polycaprolactone-nanohydroxyapatite nanofiber scaffolds for regeneration of the pulp-dentin complex: synthesis, characterization and biological behavior in human teeth culture

• Grant number: 19/16473-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Materials
• Principal Investigator: Josimeri Hebling Costa
• Grantee: Josimeri Hebling Costa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOAr). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Although there are dental materials with clinical acceptable performance when applied on direct contact with the pulp tissue, these calcium hydroxide-based materials cause, initially, tissue necrosis and cell death. The growth in the knowledge of pulp biology plus the remarkable progress in the field of tissue engineering and biotechnology have made possible the development of biocompatible and bioactive materials to regenerate the pulp tissue. Based on this premise, this research aims to develop a polycaprolactone nanofiber scaffold (PCL) incorporated with nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA), that presents the potential to stimulate cell migration (chemotaxis) and differentiation into odontoblast cells to regenerate the pulp-dentin complex when applied on pulp exposures. In the first experiment, PCL scaffolds containing different concentrations of nHA (0, 0.5, 1 and 2%) will be produced, characterized as to the morphology (distribution, size and connectivity of the interfibrillar spaces), and evaluated regarding their hydrolytic degradation (mass loss), change in the medium pH and calcium release. Additionally, PCL-nHA scaffolds will be seeded with human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) to analyze the cell viability (alamarBlue), adhesion and spreading (F-actin), cellular proliferation (live/dead assay), activity of alkaline phosphatase, formation of mineralized nodules (Alizarin red) and gene expression (PCR) for odontoblast phenotype. In the second study, PCL-nHA scaffolds will be applied as direct capping materials using a human teeth cell culture model. The best concentration of nHA will be selected based on the results of the first study. Therefore, the apical half of newly extracted human molars will be removed and class I cavities will be prepared on the occlusal surfaces until the pulp tissue is exposed. The following materials will be applied in direct contact with the exposed pulp tissue: calcium hydroxide paste (control), PCL scaffold with no nHA, PCL scaffold de PCL with nHA or only a Teflon disk. Additional teeth will be kept sound for internal validation of the methodology. All teeth will be placed in a culture model to maintain the vitality of the pulp tissue. After 28 days, the teeth will be prepared for histopathological analysis and compared with teeth treated with calcium hydroxide paste (control treatment). The number of replicates will vary according to the experimental protocol. Data will be submitted to specific statistical analyses, at the 5% level of significance, after determining the type of distribution and whether homoscedasticity is confirmed or not. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MENDES SOARES, IGOR PAULINO; ANSELMI, CAROLINE; GUINE, ISABELA; FERNANDES, LIDIA DE OLIVEIRA; BARUCCI ARAUJO PIRES, MARIA LUIZA; DE SOUZA COSTA, CARLOS ALBERTO; SALLES SCHEFFEL, DEBORA LOPES; HEBLING, JOSIMERI. Inhibitory activity of S-PRG filler on collagen-bound MMPs and dentin matrix degradation. Journal of Dentistry, v. 124, p. 7-pg., 2022-07-26. (19/16473-1)

SOARES, IGOR PAULINO MENDES; ANSELMI, CAROLINE; KITAGAWA, FERNANDA ALI; RIBEIRO, RAFAEL ANTONIO DE OLIVEIRA; LEITE, MARIA LUISA; COSTA, CARLOS ALBERTO DE SOUZA; HEBLING, JOSIMERI. Nano-hydroxyapatite-incorporated polycaprolactone nanofibrous scaffold as a dentin tissue engineering-based strategy for vital pulp therapy. Dental Materials, v. 38, n. 6, p. 18-pg., 2022-06-01. (19/07400-0, 19/16473-1)

SOARES, IGOR PAULINO MENDES; ANSELMI, CAROLINE; PIRES, MARIA LUIZA BARUCCI ARAUJO; RIBEIRO, RAFAEL ANTONIO DE OLIVEIRA; LEITE, MARIA LUISA; SOARES, DIANA GABRIELA; COSTA, CARLOS ALBERTO DE SOUZA; HEBLING, JOSIMERI. Chronic exposure to lipopolysaccharides as an in vitro model to simulate the impaired odontogenic potential of dental pulp cells under pulpitis conditions. Journal of Applied Oral Science, v. 31, p. 12-pg., 2023-01-01. (21/13096-2, 19/16473-1)

ANSELMI, CAROLINE; MENDES SOARES, IGOR PAULINO; LEITE, MARIA LUISA; KITAGAWA, FERNANDA ALI; DE SOUZA COSTA, CARLOS ALBERTO; HEBLING, JOSIMERI. Cytocompatibility and bioactivity of calcium hydroxide-containing nanofiber scaffolds loaded with fibronectin for dentin tissue engineering. CLINICAL ORAL INVESTIGATIONS, v. 26, n. 5, p. 17-pg., 2022-01-14. (19/16473-1, 19/11192-4)