Dental pulp stem-cell viability, proliferation and osteogenic potential in pure poli-épsilon-caprolactona membranes (pure-PCL)

Abstract

The search for a grafting material that provides the patient with a return of his function with the smallest possible damages has been incessant. Although the autogenous graft is still considered gold standard because of its properties, it has some disadvantages, with most of its complications being associated with the donor site. Therefore, many bone substitutes have been developed. Currently, biomaterials engineering aims the development of new resources, especially in tissue regeneration. In this context, natural and alloplastic reabsorbable scaffolds have been developed for being employed as three-dimensional structures for the transport of growth factors and/or pluripotent cells for tissue neoformation. The scaffolds made of polymers can present nanofibers formed by electrospinning, a technique that allows the production of low cost films/membranes, with potential for a variety of applications. Electrophilic membranes composed of poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) polymers, according to the literature, have important physicochemical properties and can be used in several areas of medicine. Our research group has been studying the osteogenic potential of PCL/polyrotaxane blends since 2014. The results of compatibility of this blend in vitro in cultures of murine fibroblasts were published in an important biomaterial journal (Salles et al, 2017). With research funding from FAPESP since 2015 (15-15055-0) we are verifying the potential for human dental pulp stem cells osteogenic differentiation in this blend. However, it is still lacking to investigate cellular responses of pure PCL polymer to verify comparative differences in osteogenic differentiation between pure PCL and it as a blend. The objective of this project is to evaluate in vitro the biological behavior of a pure PCL scaffold. In this sense, human dental pulp stem cells will be cultured on PCL-pure membrane samples and then evaluated for viability, proliferation and cell adhesion on the membrane. For the analysis of its osteogenic potential will be evaluated the alkaline phosphatase activity and the formation of mineralization nodules. (AU)