Microvesicle-eluting nano-engineered implants influence inflammatory response of keratinocytes

Besides enhancing osseo- and soft tissue integration, modulating inflammation at the implant site is also crucial for dental implant success. Uncontrolled peri-implant inflammation can cause significant loss of surrounding tissue and implant failure. It was recently shown that microvesicles (MVs), a less-studied type of extracellular vesicles, play a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication and may modulate angiogenesis and inflammatory response. The effect of MVs on regulating inflammation at an implant site, however, remains unexplored. In the current study, MVs were isolated and characterised from human primary gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) and loaded within titania nanotubes (TNTs, fabricated via anodisation on 3D Ti wire implants) towards their local release. The modified implants were characterised using SEM and confocal imaging to confirm the loading and local release of MVs from TNTs. In vitro studies demonstrated the internalisation of hGFs-MVs by human gingival keratinocytes (OKF6/TERT2 cell line), which caused a significant reduction in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The results support MVs-releasing TNTs as a promising implant surface modification strategy to reduce inflammation, paving the way for further advancements in therapeutic dental implants.