Hierarchically Patterned Polydopamine-Containing Membranes for Periodontal Tissue Engineering

Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease that affects tooth-supporting tissues. We engineer a multifunctional periodontal membrane for the guided tissue regeneration of lost periodontal tissues. The major drawback of current periodontal membranes is the lack of tissue regeneration properties. Here, a series of nanofibrous membranes based on poly(ε-caprolactone) with tunable biochemical and biophysical properties were developed for periodontal tissue regeneration. The engineered membranes were surface coated using biomimetic polydopamine to promote the adhesion of therapeutic proteins and cells. We demonstrate successful cellular localization on the surface of the engineered membrane by morphological patterning. Polydopamine accelerates osteogenic differentiation of dental-derived stem cells by promoting hydroxyapatite mineralization. Such multiscale designs can mimic the complex extracellular environment of periodontal tissue and serve as functional tissue constructs for periodontal regeneration. In a periodontal defect model in rats, our engineered periodontal membrane successfully promoted the regeneration of periodontal tissue and bone repair. Altogether, our data demonstrate that our biomimetic membranes have potential as protein/cell delivery platforms for periodontal tissue engineering.