PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATION

2023

A Novel Injectable Piezoelectric Hydrogel for Periodontal Disease Treatment

Roldan L, Montoya C, et al.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

Universidad EAFIT, Temple University

RESEARCH SUMMARY

This study developed an injectable, light-curable piezoelectric hydrogel (PiezoGEL) by incorporating silanized barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles into gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) to enable drug-free antibacterial activity and periodontal bone regeneration under mechanical stimulation. PiezoGEL maintained GelMA-like rheology/injectability, generated measurable open-circuit voltage under cyclic compression, and exhibited ~40% mass loss over 14 days in PBS. In vitro, cyclically stimulated PiezoGEL significantly reduced Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilm biomass and metabolism and produced a 2–3 log reduction in viable cells, linked to reduced adhesion/biofilm genes (porP,fimA) and increased oxidative stress response (oxyR). With BMSCs, PiezoGEL improved viability and promoted osteogenic differentiation (RUNX2,COL1A1,ALP) and mineralization, with loading-dependent effects. In a ligature-induced murine periodontitis model, PiezoGEL reduced inflammation, improved probing pocket depth, and increased alveolar bone regeneration versus controls.

A CellScale MechanoCulture TX was used to apply cyclic compressive loading to PiezoGEL and GelMA constructs during biological testing to activate piezoelectric charge generation. For the P.gingivalis biofilm model, cured hydrogels were incubated in bacterial culture for 24 h while being mechanically stimulated throughout the incubation, with the loading magnitude adjusted from -0.5 to -3 N at 2 Hz to approximate reported clinical stress levels in the periodontium. For bone regeneration studies, BMSCs cultured on hydrogel disks were similarly subjected to cyclic loading (-0.5 to -3 N,2 Hz) over 7–14 days, enabling direct comparison of static vs mechanically stimulated conditions for viability, osteogenic gene expression, and mineralization.

AUTHORS

Lina Roldan, Carolina Montoya, Varun Solanki, Kathy Q. Cai, Maobin Yang, Santiago Correa, Santiago Orrego.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

JOURNAL

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

YEAR

2023

INSTITUTIONS

Universidad EAFIT, Temple University

COUNTRIES

Colombia, United States

INSTRUMENT USED

MechanoCulture TX

TESTING METHODS

Compression TestingHydrated and Temperature Controlled Testing

RESEARCH APPLICATIONS

Dental & Oral Tissue BiomechanicsHydrogel Mechanical TestingInjectable & Regenerative BiomaterialsMechanotransduction

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