Vagropoulou G, Trentsiou M, Georgopoulou A, Papachristou E, Prymak O, Kritis A, Epple M, Chatzinikolaidou M, Bakopoulou A, Koidis P. Hybrid chitosan/gelatin/nanohydroxyapatite scaffolds promote odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells and in vitro biomineralization.
Dent Mater 2020;
37:e23-e36. [PMID:
33208264 DOI:
10.1016/j.dental.2020.09.021]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Hybrid chitosan/gelatin/nanohydroxyapatite (CS/Gel/nHA) scaffolds have attracted considerable interest in tissue engineering (TE) of mineralized tissues. The present study aimed to investigate the potential of CS/Gel/nHA scaffolds loaded with dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) to induce odontogenic differentiation and in vitro biomineralization.
METHODS
CS/Gel/nHA scaffolds were synthesized by freeze-drying, seeded with DPSCs, and characterized with flow cytometry. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), live/dead staining, and MTT assays were used to evaluate cell morphology and viability; real-time PCR for odontogenesis-related gene expression analysis; SEM-EDS (Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), and X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD) for structural and chemical characterization of the mineralized constructs, respectively.
RESULTS
CS/Gel/nHA scaffolds supported viability and proliferation of DPSCs over 14 days in culture. Gene expression patterns indicated pronounced odontogenic shift of DPSCs, evidenced by upregulation of DSPP, BMP-2, ALP, and the transcription factors RunX2 and Osterix. SEM-EDS showed the production of a nanocrystalline mineralized matrix inside the cell-based and - to a lesser extent - the cell-free constructs, with a time-dependent production of net-like nanocrystals (appr. 25-30nm in diameter). XRD analysis gave the crystallite size (D=50nm) but could not distinguish between the initially incorporated and the biologically produced nHA.
SIGNIFICANCE
This is the first study validating the potential of CS/Gel/nHA scaffolds to support viability and proliferation of DPSCs, and to provide a biomimetic microenvironment favoring odontogenic differentiation and in vitro biomineralization without the addition of any inductive factors, including dexamethasone and/or growth/morphogenetic factors. These results reveal a promising strategy towards TE of mineralized dental tissues.
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