Hydrogel-Based Scaffolds in Oral Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Regenerative therapy in dentistry has gained interest given the complexity to restore dental and periodontal tissues with inert materials. The best approach for regeneration requires three elements for restoring functions of affected or diseased organ tissues: cells, bioactive molecules, and scaffolds. This triad is capable of modulating the processes to replace lost or damaged tissues and restore function, as it has an impact on diverse cellular processes, influencing cell behavior positively to induce the complete restoration of function and morphology of such complex tissues. Hydrogels (HG) have shown advantages as scaffolds as they are soft and elastic three-dimensional (3D) networks formed from hydrophilic homopolymers, copolymers, or macromers. Besides simple or hybrid, HG show chemical, mechanical and biological activities such as the incorporation of cells in their structures, the retention of high-water content which enhances the transportation of cell nutrients and waste, and elastic and flexible characteristics that emulate the native extracellular matrix (ECM). HG can induce changes in cellular processes such as chemotaxis, proliferation, angiogenesis, biomineralization, and expression of specific tissue biomarkers, enhancing the regeneration process. Besides some of them have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects. This review aims to show an extensive overview of the most used hydrogels in tissue engineering, emphasizing those that are studied for the regeneration of oral tissues, their biological effects, and their clinical implications. Even though most of the HG are still under investigation, some of them have been studied in vitro and in vivo with outstanding results that may lead to preclinical studies. Besides there are HG that have shown their efficacy in patients such as hyaluronan HG that enhances the healing of gingival tissue.

Surface-Engineered Titanium with Nanoceria to Enhance Soft Tissue Integration Via Reactive Oxygen Species Modulation and Nanotopographical Sensing

“…Tailoring biomaterials with specific mechanical properties is vital for controlling tissue regeneration and function. For instance, in gingival tissue engineering, developing biomaterials with surface hardness like natural gingival tissue is essential . This similarity promotes better integration with the biological environment, impacting cell responses, such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation.…”

“…For instance, in gingival tissue engineering, developing biomaterials with surface hardness like natural gingival tissue is essential. 38 This similarity promotes better integration with the biological environment, impacting cell responses, such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. The goal is to create biomaterials that not only provide structural support but also mimic the mechanical cues that cells in the tissue naturally experience, thereby enhancing the overall success of the tissue regeneration process.…”

Integrating physicomechanical and biological strategies for BTE: biomaterials-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs

“…Hydrogels are widely used as matrix material in BTE and regenerative medicine, especially in threedimensional (3D) microenvironment [12]. Compared with bioceramic and metal-based materials, hydrogels have become the mainstream matrix materials for inducing osteogenic differentiation of MSCs due to their adjustable stiffness [13], ease of altering morphology [14], and unique viscoelastic properties [15][16][17].…”

Biofunctionalization of hydrogel-based scaffolds for vascular tissue regeneration

“…HGs have been highlighted as favorable scaffolds for cell encapsulation and expansion in vitro and in vivo, allowing tissue regeneration and promoting vascularization with potential use in multiple pathologies (Cascone and Lamberti, 2020;Cao et al, 2021). Cell-free bioactive hydrogel-based scaffolds have been extensively tested as effective guides for tissue regeneration, with possible clinical application in wound dressings with positive effects on tissue regeneration, healing acceleration, and healing removal of the exudate from the wound (Smith et al, 2016;Ayala-Ham et al, 2021;Zhang et al, 2021;Zhu et al, 2021). In this sense, the development of HGs has provided excellent opportunities for the engineering of vascular analogues and the regeneration of vascularized tissues, so detailed research could promote the optimization of these biomaterials to ensure the…”