3D-Printed Antibacterial Scaffolds for the Regeneration of Alveolar Bone in Severe Periodontitis

Abstract

Current clinical treatment of periodontitis alleviates periodontal symptoms and helps to keep the disease under control for extended periods. Despite this, a significant destruction of the tooth’s underlying bone tissue often takes place progressively. Herein, we present a two-way therapeutic approach for local delivery of antibacterial agents and bone tissue regeneration, incorporating ~1% w/w tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) into a 3D-printed scaffold composed of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). Samples were assessed for their morphological, physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and antibacterial properties. Furthermore, osteoprecursor cells (MC3T3-E1) were employed to evaluate the osteoinductive potential of the drug-loaded scaffolds. Cell proliferation, viability, and differentiation were determined on all cell-seeded scaffolds. At the end of the culture, PCL-TCH scaffolds promoted abundant collagen organic matrix, demonstrating augmented alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and areas of accumulated mineralised bone tissue, despite their belayed cell proliferation. Based on the observed effectiveness of the PCL-TCH scaffolds to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus, these constructs could serve as an alternative bioactive implant that supports bacterial inhibition and favours a 3D microenvironment for bone tissue regeneration in severe periodontitis.

The Role of Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Periodontology: From 3D Models of Periodontal Defects to 3D-Printed Scaffolds

“…Addressing alveolar bone defects and restoring bone structures in patient treatment remains a challenging aspect of clinical practice in dentistry. Nevertheless, significant strides have been taken in incorporating scaffolding and 3D-printing technologies into oral and maxillofacial surgery, particularly in the context of periodontal and alveolar bone regeneration [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] and in numerous dental applications [38][39][40]. Studies reported in demonstrate successful applications in periodontal and alveolar bone regeneration, with scaffolding technologies, biodegradable constructs, and antibacterial scaffolds showing promising outcomes.…”

Treatment of periodontal disease: does drug delivery matter?

“…It allows one to print biocompatible membranes and scaffolds as well as living cells and matrix components in complex 3D functional tissues ( Ma et al, 2019 ). Theodoridis et al ( Theodoridis et al, 2023 ) developed a scaffold based on poly (ε-caprolactone) containing tetracycline hydrochloride; it promoted antimicrobial activity, an organic collagen matrix, and new mineralized bone tissue.…”