Photo-crosslinkable hydrogel incorporated with bone matrix particles for advancements in dentin tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Dental Research

Background:

• Dentin regeneration requires advanced bioactive scaffolds.
• Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels offer tunable properties for tissue engineering.
• Bone matrices can provide essential cues for cellular differentiation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop injectable, photo-crosslinkable biomaterials for dentin regeneration.
• To evaluate the combination of GelMA with decellularized (BMdc) and deproteinized (BMdp) bone matrices.
• To assess the physicochemical properties and biological performance of these composite hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and characterization of GelMA hydrogels with BMdc, BMdp, and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA).
• Physicochemical analysis including FTIR, porosity assessment, and degradability testing.
• In vitro cell culture studies using human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) to evaluate viability, proliferation, and differentiation.

Main Results:

• FTIR confirmed chemical bonding between GelMA and bone matrix components.
• BMdc incorporation preserved hydrogel porosity, while mineral phases affected pore structure.
• GelMA-BMdc hydrogels demonstrated good injectability, mechanical strength, and resistance to enzymatic degradation.
• HDPCs remained viable and proliferative on all tested hydrogels.
• All mineral phases increased alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralized matrix deposition.
• GelMA-BMdc formulations showed superior cell expression and enhanced odontoblastic differentiation.

Conclusions:

• GelMA-BMdc hydrogels are injectable, porous, and stable biomaterials.
• These scaffolds significantly promote odontoblastic differentiation and mineral deposition in HDPCs.
• GelMA-BMdc composites show considerable promise as bioactive scaffolds for dentin regeneration.