The Role of Epigenetic Functionalization of Implants and Biomaterials in Osseointegration and Bone Regeneration—A Review

Abstract

The contribution of epigenetic mechanisms as a potential treatment model has been observed in cancer and autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. This review aims to put forward the epigenetic mechanisms as a promising strategy in implant surface functionalization and modification of biomaterials, to promote better osseointegration and bone regeneration, and could be applicable for alveolar bone regeneration and osseointegration in the future. Materials and Methods: Electronic and manual searches of the literature in PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE were conducted, using a specific search strategy limited to publications in the last 5 years to identify preclinical studies in order to address the following focused questions: (i) Which, if any, are the epigenetic mechanisms used to functionalize implant surfaces to achieve better osseointegration? (ii) Which, if any, are the epigenetic mechanisms used to functionalize biomaterials to achieve better bone regeneration? Results: Findings from several studies have emphasized the role of miRNAs in functionalizing implants surfaces and biomaterials to promote osseointegration and bone regeneration, respectively. However, there are scarce data on the role of DNA methylation and histone modifications for these specific applications, despite being commonly applied in cancer research. Conclusions: Studies over the past few years have demonstrated that biomaterials are immunomodulatory rather than inert materials. In this context, epigenetics can act as next generation of advanced treatment tools for future regenerative techniques. Yet, there is a need to evaluate the efficacy/cost effectiveness of these techniques in comparison to current standards of care.

Bone Dimensional Change Following Immediate Implant Placement in Posterior Teeth with CBCT: A 6-Month Prospective Clinical Study

“…The implant biomaterials can be immunomodulatory rather than inert materials. In addition, epigenetics can act as the next generation of advanced treatment tools for future regenerative techniques [ 41 ].…”

Regenerative Medicine Technologies to Treat Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Defects

“…MiRNA are small non-coding RNAs that regulate post-transcriptional modifications of a target messenger RNA and can inhibit translation of multiple genes by sequence-pairing homology (Larsson et al, 2015). Epigenetic functionalization of scaffolds to impart anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, or osteogenic influence may be achieved through incorporation of miRNAtransfected cells or direct loading of miRNA into the biomaterials (Asa'ad et al, 2020).…”

Spatial Controls of Ligamentous Tissue Orientations Using the Additively Manufactured Platforms in an In Vivo Model: A Pilot Study

“…During the cell culture and incubation, growth media were changed every 4 days, and rat PDL cells were trypsinized and passaged (P1) at 80-90% confluency. For this study, rat PDL cells were cultured by passage 3. have been concentrated on promoting bone regeneration in tooth-extraction sites or inducing osseointegration to the dental implant surfaces using biomaterials, bioactive molecules, or stem cells [15][16][17][18][19]. However, advanced tissue engineering techniques have currently focused on the regeneration of tooth-supporting tissue complexes to save natural teeth by extending their lives, instead of using dental implants.…”

“…Sci. 2021, 11, 7847 2 of 10 cells [15][16][17][18][19]. However, advanced tissue engineering techniques have currently focused on the regeneration of tooth-supporting tissue complexes to save natural teeth by extending their lives, instead of using dental implants.…”