Proteomic Profile of Dental Pulp Cells in Contact with Chitosan-Calcium Scaffolds for Pulp-Dentin Regeneration

In cases of reversible inflammation due to dental caries, direct pulp-capping therapies are an attempt to keep the tooth vital. Cell-homing regenerative therapies have been investigated in order to develop new biomaterials for a more successful treatment. Our scaffolds based on chitosan and minerals shows good in vitro results in terms of regenerating mineralized tissues, such as dentin, as well as controlling the inflamation of pulp cells. However, the mechanisms of cellular activity need to be better understood, wich can be achieved through the investigation of the proteins involved in the process. So, the aim of our project is to formulate chitosan scaffolds with the minerals calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate and evaluate the mechanisms involved in controlling inflammation, odontogenic differentiation and mineralized matrix deposition in contact with a pool of dental pulp cells, through proteomic analysis at different time-points (0, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days). The benefits to the institutions consists in a collaboration that provides new information for other investigations in field, through a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in this process, and could result in the establishment of a new effective-low-cost therapy for advanced cases of dental caries, improving the Regenerative Dentistry.

Faculty Supervisor:

Eduardo Moffa

Student:

Partner:

Universidade de São Paulo

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program: