Assessment of bioactive and bio‐adhesive therapies to enhance stem cell attachment to root surface dentine

Abstract

To compare bioactive and bio-adhesive therapies to enhance stem cell attachment to the root dentine of human teeth. Dentine slabs (n = 72) were cut from the lower 3 mm of the roots of extracted human permanent teeth. The root dentine slabs were untreated, or coated with bio-adhesive, or human recombinant transforming growth factor-beta1 (hrTGF-B1), or human recombinant bone morphogenic protein-2 (hrBMP-2). The dentine slabs were placed with the root surface in contact with confluent periodontal stem cell (PSC) cultures using aseptic techniques. The cells and dentine slabs were submerged in culture media for 4, 24 and 72 h. The specimens were fixed in formalin, dehydrated and processed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM micrographs at x2000 magnification revealed PSC extensive adherence to root dentine for all of the bio-adhesive and bioactive treatments. The addition of bioactive molecules did not improve PSC attachment. Few cells attached to the negative control treatments. Bio-adhesive and bioactive growth factors were not needed to promote PSC attachment to the root dentine of human teeth, because it already appears to have good natural properties to promote PSC attachment. This suggests PSC can be used for the clinical replantation of avulsed teeth without the need for bio-adhesive and bioactive treatments.