Cerium oxide nanoparticles loaded nanofibrous membranes promote bone regeneration for periodontal tissue engineering

Bone regeneration is a crucial part in the treatment of periodontal tissue regeneration, in which new attempts come out along with the development of nanomaterials. Herein, the effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂ NPs) on the cell behavior and function of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) was investigated. Results of CCK-8 and cell cycle tests demonstrated that CeO₂ NPs not only had good biocompatibility, but also promoted cell proliferation. Furthermore, the levels of alkaline phosphatase activity, mineralized nodule formation and expressions of osteogenic genes and proteins demonstrated CeO₂ NPs could promote osteogenesis differentiation of hPDLSCs. Then we chose electrospinning to fabricate fibrous membranes containing CeO₂ NPs. We showed that the composite membranes improved mechanical properties as well as realized release of CeO₂ NPs. We then applied the composite membranes to in vivo study in rat cranial defect models. Micro-CT and histopathological evaluations revealed that nanofibrous membranes with CeO₂ NPs further accelerated new bone formation. Those exciting results demonstrated that CeO₂ NPs and porous membrane contributed to osteogenic ability, and CeO₂ NPs contained electrospun membrane may be a promising candidate material for periodontal bone regeneration.