Scaffolds for pulp repair and regeneration

Abstract

Engineering oral tissues as a multidisciplinary approach to build structures such as the dentin-pulp complex remains a challenging endeavor. The isolation of stem cell populations from various sources in the oral cavity and advances in utilizing their differentiation potential have been driving the field forward. So far, bioinert materials have mainly been used as carriers and delivery vehicles, relying on the intrinsic cellular competence to form tissues. As this may not suffice to induce regeneration, there is a need for smart biomimetic scaffolds capable of providing chemical and mechanical cues to promote multiple specific interactions between cells and matrix. These signals can orchestrate processes such as cell adhesion, migration, differentiation, matrix synthesis, mineralization, and vasculogenesis. In this chapter, recent successful approaches will be highlighted as well as some of the shortcomings. An overview of current strategies to fabricate bioactive matrices will be provided, and design principles for scaffolding systems specifically tailored toward dental pulp tissue regeneration will be suggested. At the interface between dentistry, biology, and material science, cellular response can be controlled by materials chemistry, and potential strategies for dental pulp regeneration are evolving.