A team of researchers at the University of Missouri is advancing an innovative technology that aims to reverse the destructive effects of periodontitis by promoting the bond between teeth and bone through stem cells.
Periodontitis is a common and uncomfortable oral disease that causes gradual damage to the gums, periodontal ligaments, and bone tissue that supports the teeth. According to statistics, about 42% of adults in the United States are afflicted with the disease.
“Periodontitis is a serious burden on the public health system,” said Xiaohua Liu, professor of chemical and biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri and a biomedical researcher at the NextGen Center for Precision Health. “In severe cases, the patient’s bone volume is insufficient to support the implant, and the patient may eventually have to remove the affected tooth.”
This spring, the research team led by Professor Liu received a research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue to tackle a long-standing problem in periodontal treatment.
“We hope that through this project, we can help patients rebuild periodontal functional tissue and provide a truly effective treatment approach,” Professor Liu said.
The core of the research is to use the regenerative potential of stem cells to rebuild the connection structure between teeth and bones. Stem cells are considered a key force in regenerative medicine because of their ability to self-renew and differentiate into specific cell types.
To this end, the research team developed a biomimetic three-layer material called “periodontal patch”. The patch is made of a nanofiber structure that simulates the layers and functions of natural periodontal tissue. The three layers of the material have different functions and can release different signals to induce stem cells to differentiate into periodontal ligament cells and bone cells.
“You can think of this technology as a ‘biological sandwich’, in which the middle layer helps regenerate the periodontal ligament, and the two sides are connected to the teeth and bones respectively,” Professor Liu explained. “Our goal is to rebuild a structurally orderly and functional connection system to restore the solid support of the teeth.”
Further breakthroughs in this technology may bring new treatment hope to the hundreds of millions of patients suffering from periodontitis around the world.