Cerium oxide nanoparticles loaded nanofibrous membranes promote bone regeneration for periodontal tissue engineering

Bone regeneration is a crucial part in the treatment of periodontal tissue regeneration, in which new attempts come out along with the development of nanomaterials. Herein, the effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) on the cell behavior and function of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) was investigated. Results of CCK-8 and cell cycle tests demonstrated that CeO2 NPs not only had good biocompatibility, but also promoted cell proliferation. Furthermore, the levels of alkaline phosphatase activity, mineralized nodule formation and expressions of osteogenic genes and proteins demonstrated CeO2 NPs could promote osteogenesis differentiation of hPDLSCs. Then we chose electrospinning to fabricate fibrous membranes containing CeO2 NPs. We showed that the composite membranes improved mechanical properties as well as realized release of CeO2 NPs. We then applied the composite membranes to in vivo study in rat cranial defect models. Micro-CT and histopathological evaluations revealed that nanofibrous membranes with CeO2 NPs further accelerated new bone formation. Those exciting results demonstrated that CeO2 NPs and porous membrane contributed to osteogenic ability, and CeO2 NPs contained electrospun membrane may be a promising candidate material for periodontal bone regeneration.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) on the behavior and function of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). The results showed that CeO2 NPs had good biocompatibility and promoted cell proliferation. Furthermore, the CeO2 NPs were able to promote osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs. The researchers also fabricated fibrous membranes containing CeO2 NPs using electrospinning, which improved mechanical properties and released the nanoparticles. In vivo experiments in rat cranial defect models further demonstrated that the nanofibrous membranes with CeO2 NPs accelerated new bone formation.