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Updated: Jun 14, 2025
Isolation, Processing and Analysis of Murine Gingival Cells
Published on: July 2, 2013
Single-cell analysis of peri-implant gingival tissue to assess implant biocompatibility and immune response
Li-Tzu Wang1,2, Sin-Ei Juang3, Hsuan-Hao Chang4
1School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Purpose:
The innate immune response, particularly the reaction of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), is crucial in shaping the outcomes of chronic inflammation, fibrosis, or osseointegration following biomaterial implantation. Peri-implantitis or peri-implant mucositis, inflammatory conditions linked to dental implants, pose a significant threat to implant success. We developed a single-cell analysis approach using a murine model to assess the immune response to implant materials, offering a practical screening tool for potential dental implants.
Methods:
We performed bioinformatics analysis and established a peri-implant inflammation model by inserting two titanium implants into the maxillary region, to examine the immune response.
Results:
Bioinformatics analysis revealed that titanium implants triggered a host immune response, primarily mediated by PMNs. In the in vivo experiments, we observed a rapid PMN-mediated response, with increased infiltration around the implants and on the implant surface by day 3. Remarkably, PMN attachment to the implants persisted for 7 days, resembling the immune profiles seen in human implant-mediated inflammation.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that persistent attachment of the short-living PMNs to titanium implants can serve as an indicator or traits of peri-implant inflammation. Therefore, analyzing gingival tissue at the single-cell level could be a useful tool for evaluating the biocompatibility of candidate dental implants.
