InjecTE
InjecTE is a multidisciplinary project assembling researchers from the Department of Biomaterials (Janne Reseland, Hanna Tiainen, Pia Titterud Sunde and Ståle Petter Lyngstadaas), University Hospital Regensburg ( Kerstin Galler), and Universidade do Minho (Manuela Gomes and Manuel Gomez-Florit), aiming at developing and testing new advanced biomaterials for periodontal and endodontic regeneration.
Oral health
Oral health is essential for general health and quality of life. Pulpitis and periodontal disease have historically been considered the most important global oral health burdens. Both are inflammatory diseases, initiated in response to bacterial infection, and may result in tooth loss. InjecTE project aims to develop and test an injectable crosslinkable nanocomposite biomaterial that could be injected in the diseased place and guide stem cell towards differentiation and regeneration of lost dental tissues.
In the clinical routine, both diseases are treated aiming at removing/reducing the microbial component, in order to eliminate inflammation and stop tissue destruction, allowing tissue healing. However, these therapies do not foresee the regeneration of lost dental tissues, which may compromise long-term teeth vitality. Although some advances have been recently made, regeneration of structure and function of lost dental tissues remains a challenge.
Injectable materials present critical advantages over other materials in the case of endodontic and periodontal regeneration. It can easily infiltrate into the space left void after root canal or periodontal treatment before crosslink in situ to produce a stable material, can act as a delivery system of various cells and therapeutic agents, and can target diseased sites with minimal invasiveness. Such materials would have a huge impact in the dental biomaterials field since they would change current healing therapies to regenerative outcomes.
The project consortium
Part of the consortium also presented recent work from their group in a seminar in relation to the kick-off meeting:
Manuela Gomes, vice-director, Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics Research Group (3Bs), Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Minho, Portugal.
Title : Tissue engineering strategies for the regeneration of tendon and dental tissues
Manuel Gomez-Florit, postdoc, Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics Research Group (3Bs), Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Minho, Portugal.
Title: Platelet Lysate-based Nanocomposite Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine