Aim:Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary science that aims to produce replacement organs and biological substitutes. One of the techniques involves decellularizing a biological organ without altering its structure. One challenge is how to demonstrate which method would be better for this process.Methodology:Fifty premolar teeth were divided into five groups: G1 (control): solution of 10% formaldehyde; G2: phosphate buffer saline (PBS), 28 g of tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA), sodium hypochlorite 2.5% (SH); G3: PBS, EDTA and 40v hydrogen peroxide (HP); G4: PBS, EDTA, SH, enzymatic detergent (ED); and G5: PBS, EDTA, HP, ED. Each group was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray, measured weights and color and received statistical analysis.Conclusion:This study demonstrated that G5 was the most appropriate method to obtain a natural scaffold.

Scaffolds used to receive stem cells are a promising perspective of tissue regeneration research, and one of the most effective solutions to rebuild organs. In the near future will be possible to reconstruct a natural tooth using stems cells, but to avoid an immune-defensive response, sterilize the scaffold is not only desired, but also essential to be successful. A study confirmed stem cells extracted from rat’s natural teeth, and implanted into the alveolar bone, could differentiate themselves in dental cells, but the scaffold’s chemistry, geometry, density, morphology, adherence, biocompatibility and mechanical properties remained an issue. This study intended to produce a completely sterilized dental scaffold with preserved extracellular matrix. Fifty-one samples were collected, kept in formaldehyde, submitted to partial demineralization and decellularization processes and sterilized using four different methods: dry heating; autoclave; ethylene-oxide and gamma-radiation. They were characterized through optical images, micro-hardness, XRD, EDS, XRF, SEM, histology and sterility test. The results evidenced the four sterilization methods were fully effective with preservation of ECM molecular arrangements, variation on chemical composition (proportion of Ca/P) was compatible with Ca/P proportional variation between enamel and dentine regions. Gamma irradiation and ethylene oxide presents excellent results, but their viability are compromised by the costs and technology’s accessibility (requires very expensive equipment and/or consumables). Excepted gamma irradiation, all the sterilization methods more than sterilizing also reduced the remaining pulp. Autoclave presents easy equipment accessibility, lower cost consumables, higher reduction of remaining pulp and complete sterilization, reason why was considered the most promising technique.

The tunable Tc region of MnSb alloy (44 -49 % at. Sb) was analyzed using OM, VSM, DSC, XRD, EDS and XRF characterization techniques. Thermal and magnetic analysis suggests the existence of a non reported irreversible reaction on heating, compatible to a reverse peritectoid transition Mn x Sb ➔ Mn 2 Sb + Mn x' Sb.

Scaffolds to receive stem cells are a promising perspective of tissue regeneration research, and one of the most effective solutions to rebuild organs. In the near future will be possible to reconstruct a natural tooth using stems cells, but to avoid an immune-defensive response, sterilize the scaffold is not only desired but also essential to succeed. A previous study from the group, confirmed the insertion of stem cells extracted from rat’s natural teeth, and implanted into the alveolar bone, could differentiate themselves in dental cells, but the scaffold’s chemistry, geometry, density, morphology, adherence, biocompatibility and mechanical properties remained an issue. This study intended to produce a completely sterilized dental scaffold with preserved extracellular matrix. Sixty samples were collected, kept in formaldehyde, submitted to demineralization and decellularization processes and sterilized using four different methods: dry heating; autoclave; ethylene-oxide and gamma-radiation. They were characterized through colorimeter scale, optical images, radiography, micro-hardness, XRD, EDS, XRF, SEM and sterility test. The results evidenced the decellularization alone is not enough to eliminate micro-organisms from dental scaffolds, and the four sterilization methods were fully effective with preservation of ECM. The dry heat and autoclave could be detached from others because of cost-benefit, but ethylene oxide or gamma radiation should not be discarded mainly if it is considered other possible applications.