Evaluating Regenerative Potential: Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs) and OsteoBiol Gen-Os® Scaffold for Enhanced Bone Repair in Rat Mandibular Defects

Abstract

[EN] Alveolar bone defect regeneration is a clinical challenge faced in the field of dentistry and its sub-specialties. Some of the commonest causes of bone loss which require subsequent regeneration and healing include, extraction sockets, alveolar ridge augmentation for implant placement, periodontal and peri-implant bone defects, and pathological conditions such as cysts and tumors (2, 3). Although the response of alveolar bone to injury is similar to that of bone in other parts of the body, the chances for bone defects and factors acting against adequate spontaneous bone healing are abundant in the oral cavity (3). A simple case in point is the presence of the odontogenic apparatus including the periodontium, which is susceptible to multiple factors affecting bone turnover such as occlusal trauma, periapical pathosis due to dental caries, gingivitis and periodontal infections. This has led to a constant pursuit for better bone regenerative biomaterials and adjunctive strategies to enhance the same (2). Traditionally, autologous bone grafts were the material of choice for treating alveolar bone defects (4). However, they are fast being replaced by alternatives such as allografts, xenografts and alloplastic biomaterials, owing to the paucity, donor site morbidity and additional surgical procedures associated with autografts (4-6). The performance of these alternative bone graft materials have further been enhanced by the role of adjuncts such as bone morphogenic proteins (BMP), growth factors and mesenchymal stem cells (7-9). Moreover, the field of alveolar bone regeneration has further witnessed effective and clinically relevant bone defect healing through the use of guided bone regeneration (GBR). The technique of GBR employs dual benefits of bone graft placement and isolating the defect site using barrier membranes, for unhindered defect site healing (10). It has been reported that collagen barrier membranes used in GBR, in addition to providing the barrier effect, also plays a role in chemotaxis of osteogenic progenitors and early neovascularization (2, 10). Although the technique of GBR has been reportedly used for healing both non-segmental and segmental critical size defects in animal studies and clinical alveolar bone defect regeneration (6, 8, 10-13), the search for improvised regenerative strategies still persists. Researchers have attempted the same by utilizing novel bone grafts or substitutes along with adjunct cells, proteins or growth factors, with the ultimate aim of replicating bone healing results achieved with autografts (14).