Periodontal disease destroys supporting structures of teeth; however, tissue engineering strategies offer potential to enhance regeneration. Here, we combined the strategies of patterned topography, spatiotemporally-controlled growth factor gene delivery, and cell-based therapy to repair bone-periodontal ligament (PDL) interfaces. Micropatterned scaffolds were fabricated for the ligament regions using polycaprolactone (PCL)/polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) and combined with amorphous PCL scaffolds for the bone region. Scaffolds were modified using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), followed by spatially controlled immobilization of vectors encoding either platelet-derived growth factor-BB (AdPDGF-BB) or bone morphogenetic protein-7 (AdBMP-7), respectively. The scaffolds were seeded with human cells and delivered to large alveolar bone defects in athymic rats. The effects of dual and single gene delivery with and without micropatterning were assessed after 3, 6, and 9 weeks. Gene delivery resulted in greater bone formation at 3 weeks. Micropatterning resulted in regenerated ligamentous tissues similar to native PDL. The combination resulted in more mature expression of collagen III and periostin, and with elastic moduli of regenerated tissues that were statistically indistinguishable from those of native tissue, while controls were less stiff than native tissues. Thus, controlled scaffold micro-topography combined with localized growth factor gene delivery improved the regeneration of periodontal bone-PDL interfaces.

Why do voters in developed democracies support right-wing populist parties? Existing research focuses on economic and cultural vulnerability as driving this phenomenon. We hypothesize that perceptions of personal health vulnerability might have a similar influence on voters. To test this argument, we analyzed all waves of the European Social Survey (2002–2020). Our findings suggest that voters with worse self-reported health were significantly more likely to vote for right-wing populist parties. The relationship persists even after accounting for measures of cultural and economic vulnerability, as well as voters’ satisfaction with both their personal lives and their country’s health system. The influence of health on support for right-wing populist parties appears to be greater than that of income and self-reported economic insecurity, while less than that of gender and attitudes about immigrants. Our findings suggest that policies affecting public health could shape not only health outcomes but also the political landscape.

The U.S. is the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In response, governments have implemented measures to slow transmission through "social distancing." However, the practice of social distancing may depend on prevailing socioeconomic conditions and beliefs. Using 15-17 million anonymized cell phone records, we find that lower per capita income and greater Republican orientation were associated with significantly reduced social distancing among U.S. counties. These associations persisted after adjusting for county-level sociodemographic and labor market characteristics as well as state fixed effects. These results may help policymakers and health professionals identify communities that are most vulnerable to transmission and direct resources and communications accordingly.

Structured Abstract The reconstruction of alveolar bone defects associated with teeth and dental implants remains a clinical challenge in the treatment of patients affected by disease or injury of the alveolus. The aim of this review was to provide an overview on advances made in the use of personalized scaffolding technologies coupled with biologics, cells and gene therapies that offer future clinical applications for the treatment of patients requiring periodontal and alveolar bone regeneration. Over the past decade, advancements in three‐dimensional (3D) imaging acquisition technologies such as cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) and precise scaffold fabrication methods such as 3D bioprinting have resulted in personalized scaffolding constructs based on individual patient‐specific anatomical data. Furthermore, ‘fiber‐guiding’ scaffold designs utilize topographical cues to guide ligamentous fibers to form in orientation towards the root surface to improve tooth support. Therefore, a topic‐focused literature search was conducted looking into fiber‐guiding and image‐based scaffolds and their associated clinical applications.