Thesis summary
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by bacterial colonisation, ultimately resulting in the loss of tissue surrounding the tooth. Removing bacteria and controlling inflammation can stop the disease from progressing. However, this does not restore the lost tissue. Since current regenerative treatments do not provide reliable functional and aesthetic outcomes, novel approaches for periodontal tissue regeneration are required. With stem cells present in abundance around the tooth—why not convince these cells to rebuild the lost tissue?
In his PhD project, Aman investigated one such approach, involving an injectable hydrogel system with the capacity to attract stem cells for endogenous tissue regeneration. His thesis focussed on the fundamental requirements for a synthetic hydrogel system to support and guide stem cell activity towards regeneration. The hydrogel system was equipped with bioactive molecules capable of supporting cell adhesion, driving cell differentiation and inducing cell migration. Cell adhesion sites were tethered to the hydrogel backbone to support cell colonisation. Additionally, calcium phosphates were incorporated to provide cells with the raw material required to build bone. Finally, blood components rich in growth factors were loaded within the hydrogel system to attract stem cells towards the hydrogel. This work provides a foundation for using an injectable bioactive hydrogel for periodontal regeneration.
Les mer om Amans forskningsprosjekt på norsk.
Evaluation committee
- Professor Ólafur E Sigurjónsson, Reykjavík University / Blóðbankinn, Iceland
- Dr Joana M Ramis, University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
- Professor Hilde K Galtung, University of Oslo
Supervisor
- Associate Professor Hanna Tiainen
