In vitro biocompatibility of biohybrid polymers membrane evaluated in human gingival fibroblasts

The biohybrid polymer membrane (BHM) is a new biomaterial designed for the treatment of soft periodontal tissue defects. We aimed to evaluate the in vitro biocompatibility of the membrane in human gingival fibroblasts and the capability to induce cell adhesion, migration, differentiation and improving the production of the extracellular matrix. BHM and Mucograft® collagen matrix (MCM) membranes were punched into 6 mm diameter round discs and placed in 96-well plates. Human primary gingival fibroblasts were seeded on the membranes or tissue culture plastic (TCP) serving as the control. Cell proliferation/viability and morphology were evaluated after 3, 7, and 14 days of culture by cell counting kit (CCK)-8 assay and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Additionally, the gene expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), collagen type 1 (Col1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and fibroblasts growth factor (FGF)-2 was analyzed at 3, 7, and 14 days of culture by qPCR. Cell proliferation on BHM was significantly higher than on MCM and similar to TCP. Gene expression of TGF-β1, FAK, Col1, and α-SMA were significantly increased on BHM compared to TCP at most investigated time points. However, the gene expression of FGF-2 was significantly decreased on BHM at Day 7 and recovered at Day 14 to the levels similar to TCP. The finding of this study showed that BHM is superior for gingival fibroblasts in terms of adhesion, proliferation, and gene expression, suggesting that this membrane may promote the healing of soft periodontal tissue.