Although the discipline of cell biology (CB) is part of the curricula of predoctoral dental schools, students often fail to recognize its practical relevance. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a practical-theoretical project-based course in closing the gaps among CB, scientific research, and dentistry for dental students. A project-based learning course was developed with nine sequential lessons to evaluate 108 undergraduate dental students enrolled in CB classes of a Brazilian school of dentistry during 2013-16. To highlight the relevance of in vitro studies in the preclinical evaluation of dental materials at the cellular level, the students were challenged to complete the process of drafting a protocol and performing a cytocompatibility assay for a bone substitute used in dentistry. Class activities included small group discussions, scientific database search and article presentations, protocol development, lab experimentation, and writing of a final scientific report. A control group of 31 students attended only one laboratory class on the same theme, and the final reports were compared between the two groups. The results showed that the project-based learning students had superior outcomes in acknowledging the relevance of in vitro methods during biocompatibility testing. Moreover, they produced scientifically sound reports with more content on methodological issues, the relationship with dentistry, and the scientific literature than the control group (p<0.05). The project-based learning students also recognized a higher relevance of scientific research and CB to dental practice. These results suggest that a project-based approach can help contextualize scientific research in dental curricula.
Biomedical materials for bone therapy are usually assessed for their biocompatibility and safety employing animal models orin vitromonolayer cell culture assays. However, alternativein vitromodels may offer controlled conditions closer to physiological responses and reduce animal testing. In this work, we developed a 3D spheroidal cell culture with potential to evaluate simultaneously material-cell and cell-cell interactions. Different cell densities of murine MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts or human primary osteoblasts (HOb) were used to determine the ideal procedure of spheroidal cultures and their adequacy to material testing. Cells were seeded on 96-well plates coated with agar and incubated in agitation from 1 to 7 days. Aggregate morphology was qualitatively evaluated considering the shape, size, repeatability, handling, and stability of spheroids. Higher cell densities induced more stable spheroids, and handling was considered appropriate starting from 2 × 104cells. Confocal microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy indicate that most cells within the aggregate core are viable. Exposure to positive controls has shown a dose dependent cell death as measured by XTT assay. Aggregates were stable and presented good viability when employed on standardized testing of metallic and polymer-based biomaterials. Therefore, osteoblast spheroids may provide a promising tool for material screening and biocompatibility testing.
Good Clinical Laboratory Practices (GCLP) increase the quality and traceability of results in clinical research. However, high turnover of staff, insufficient resources, and lack of training in lab management may limit its implementation at Academic Health Centers (AHCs). This work aimed to qualitatively assess the staff perception of the implementation of a freeware Online Management System (OMS) on the workflow of an academic clinical research laboratory. A free online OMS (Quartzy, Quartzy Inc., USA) was selected and implemented from 2012-2016. After training interventions, a qualitative analysis was performed for the staff attitude towards the implementation, including a structured questionnaire (30 participants) and focus group assessments (16 participants). Indicators of management performance were also compared before and after the implementation. The results indicate that lab members perceive improvement in organization, communication, and commitment of staff, who reported the system as user-friendly and a facilitator for the autonomy of group members. On the other hand, there is a recognition of the need for constant training and engagement at the management level. These findings suggest that full-scope OMS may represent useful tools to assist in staff engagement in compliance with GCLP at AHC laboratories.
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