A Porcine Model Using Adipose Stem Cell-Loaded Scaffolds for Alveolar Ridge Augmentation

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Background:

• Tooth loss significantly impacts quality of life, often necessitating dental implants.
• Successful dental implants rely on adequate alveolar bone volume, requiring bone augmentation techniques.
• Limitations of natural bone grafts drive the development of synthetic scaffolds combined with cells or bioactive agents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel combination scaffold for lateral alveolar augmentation.
• To present a porcine alveolar defect model for preclinical testing of bone regenerative therapies.
• To assess the efficacy of a polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP) scaffold with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs).

Main Methods:

• Development of a porcine alveolar defect model mimicking human clinical conditions.
• Surgical protocol for defect creation and regenerative surgery using a 3D-printed PCL-TCP scaffold and AD-MSCs.
• Application of analytical methods to quantify tissue regeneration within the augmented bone defects.

Main Results:

• The porcine model provides a viable platform for evaluating bone augmentation strategies.
• The combination of PCL-TCP scaffolds and AD-MSCs demonstrated potential for alveolar bone regeneration.
• Detailed surgical and analytical protocols are established for future research.

Conclusions:

• The described porcine model is suitable for preclinical assessment of bone regenerative materials.
• The PCL-TCP scaffold combined with AD-MSCs shows promise for lateral alveolar augmentation.
• This research facilitates the translation of advanced bone graft alternatives to clinical practice.