Development of a chitosan scaffold containing simvastatin: analysis of cytocompatibility and bioactivity on a human dental pulp cell culture

• Grant number: 17/10658-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2017
• End date: July 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Materials
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Alberto de Souza Costa
• Grantee: Filipe Koon Wu Mon
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOAr). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The formulation of biocompatible and bioactive scaffolds, capable to drive the odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells, has been gaining the interest on biotechnology and tissue engineering field to achieve the regeneration of pulp-dentin complex. Therefore, in the present study it will be proposed the development of a chitosan scaffold capable to release bioactive dosages of simvastatin (SV), aiming the induction of an odontoblastic phenotype on dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). A 2% chitosan solution in 2% acetic acid will be applied on teflon molds followed by freezing at -80oC and freeze-drying at -56oC to obtain porous scaffold. The SV will be incorporated before and after scaffold processing, and the drug release will be assessed (spectrophotometer). Then, the final concentration and method to incorporate SV on chitosan scaffold will be stablished, aiming the release of 0.1 to 0.01 M SV. The DPSCs will be seeded onto the scaffolds surface to evaluate cell viability, adhesion and spread (fluorescence analysis), as well as the gene expression of DSPP, DMP-1 and ALP (real time PCR). Numerical data obtained by laboratorial protocols will be subjected to static analysis. (AU)