Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2025
Platelet-Derived Extracellular Vesicle Functionalization of Ti Implants
Published on: August 5, 2021
Enhanced functionality and migration of human gingival fibroblasts on vacuum ultraviolet light-treated titanium: An
Takanori Matsuura1,2, Keiji Komatsu1, Toshikatsu Suzumura1
1Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, USA.
Purpose:
The maintenance of peri-implant health relies significantly on the integrity of the peri-implant seal, particularly vulnerable at the interface between implant abutment and soft tissue. Early healing stages around implants involve cellular exposure to oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate whether vacuum ultraviolet (VUV)-treated titanium augments the growth and functionality of human gingival fibroblasts while mitigating cellular stress.
Methods:
Machined titanium plates underwent treatment with 172 nm VUV light for one minute, with untreated plates as controls. Human gingival fibroblasts were cultured on treated and untreated plates, and their behavior, growth, and functionality were assessed. Functionally impaired fibroblasts, treated with hydrogen peroxide, were also cultured on these titanium plates, and plate-to-plate transmigration ability was evaluated.
Results:
Fibroblasts on VUV-treated titanium exhibited a 50% reduction in intracellular reactive oxygen species production compared to controls. Additionally, glutathione, an antioxidant, remained undepleted in cells on VUV-treated titanium. Furthermore, the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-8 decreased by 40-60% on VUV-treated titanium. Consequently, fibroblast attachment and proliferation doubled on VUV-treated titanium compared to those in the controls, leading to enhanced cell retention. Plate-to-plate transmigration assays demonstrated that fibroblasts migrated twice as far on VUV-treated surfaces compared to those in the controls. In particular, the transmigration ability, impaired in functionally impaired fibroblasts on the controls, was preserved on VUV-treated titanium.
Conclusions:
VUV-treated titanium promotes the growth, function, and migration of human gingival fibroblasts by reducing cellular stress and enhancing antioxidative capacity. Notably, the transmigration ability significantly improved on VUV-treated titanium.
