Editorial for Special Issue on Biomaterials and Cell Strategies for Regenerative Dentistry

Abstract

Tissue Engineering Part C: MethodsVol. 29, No. 5 EditorialFree AccessEditorial for Special Issue on Biomaterials and Cell Strategies for Regenerative DentistryWei Ji, Yinghong Zhou, and John A. JansenWei JiAddress correspondence to: Prof. Wei Ji, The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Sciences of Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine, Ministry of Education (Hubei-MOST KLOS & KLOBM), School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, No.237 Luoyu Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China Wuhan Hubei Province 430079, China E-mail Address: wei.ji@whu.edu.cnDepartment of Implantology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.Search for more papers by this author, Yinghong ZhouDr. Yinghong Zhou, The University of Queensland, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, School of Dentistry Research Office 6405, Oral Health Centre, 288 Herston Road, Herston Brisbane Queensland 4006, Australia E-mail Address: yinghong.zhou@uq.edu.auSchool of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.Search for more papers by this author, and John A. JansenDepartment of Dentistry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:16 May 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/ten.tec.2023.29037.editorialAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Oral and maxillofacial defects caused by trauma and tumorectomy possess high morbidity but poor prognosis.1,2 Hence, the reconstruction, regeneration, and rehabilitation of the oral and maxillofacial structures including teeth, alveolar bone, and the surrounding soft tissues are of significant and ongoing clinical interest and relevance. Although autogenous hard/soft tissue grafts still remain the gold standard for critical-size defects, this approach is often restricted by the quantity of tissue at the donor site and grafting complications.3 Therefore, regenerative dentistry is an emerging field of regenerative medicine that integrates stem cell technology, biomedical engineering, and biomaterial science to restore the structure and function of dental and oral tissues.In the concept of regenerative dentistry, biomaterial strategy has become one of the most essential components, particularly in bone regeneration. Successful biomaterial-driven bone regeneration requires an understanding of the composition and structure of native bone tissue, as well as appropriate selection of biomimetic natural or tunable synthetic materials (biomaterials), such as polymers, bioceramics, metals, and composites.4 Among variable biomaterial options, bioactive glasses and calcium phosphates are of particular interest to dental applications owing to their clinically friendly handling properties, known osteoconductivity and versality of combining with growth factors or trace elements that can further promote bone defect repair.5,6In addition to biomaterial strategy, (stem) cell-based strategy offers significant benefits for achieving physical and functional restoration of dental and oral tissues, particularly in compromised conditions.7 It is envisioned that stem/progenitor cells with the ability to self-renew and differentiate are the key factors in steering bone formation and integration, subsequently leading to the successful healing of the defect.8Ex vivo cell isolation and expansion in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines are a time-consuming and costly procedure for cell-based strategy. Furthermore, despite numerous studies in both preclinical and clinical settings, the efficacy of cell-based approaches for bone regeneration remains controversial.7 Therefore, developing a new generation of cell-based strategy that requires a time-efficient harvesting and expansion procedure and integrates with natural tissue healing process would open new possibilities for clinical translation.This special issue, which will be published in three parts, aims to present a collection of articles that highlight recent progress of biomaterial and cell-based strategies for regenerative dentistry. The guest editors hope that this issue will provide tissue engineers and clinicians with a valuable perspective for accelerating the design of new tissue engineering strategies and clinical translation.