Strontium-loaded scaffolds could stimulate wound healing, new study finds

Researchers at the University at Buffalo (UB) claimed to have developed a strontium-loaded scaffold that could help to stimulate wound healing and improve tissue attachment in dental implant patients. According to the team, the new scaffold material can also be customized to fit any size of dental implants. 

The research findings indicate the ability of strontium, a bone-seeking element that improves bone density and strength, to promote the function of fibroblasts. The latter is a type of cell that helps to stimulate wound healing through forming connective tissues. The growth and adhesion of soft tissues to the implant surface is critical to the success of dental implants.

Novel scaffolds for effective strontium release

The new study, published in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, found that scaffolds loaded with strontium – even at low concentrations – promoted wound healing by stimulating gingival fibroblast activity.

“Scaffold materials have been explored to promote bone and skin wound healing, but adaptations for the oral cavity are limited,” said lead investigator, Michelle Visser, PhD, associate professor of oral biology in the UB School of Dental Medicine. 

“These novel scaffolds represent a system for effective strontium release in the oral cavity.”

Tests indicate increased gingival fibroblast activity

The porous structures of the scaffolds help to promote and guide cell growth. The researchers infuse the specially developed hydrogel scaffolds with a range of strontium concentrations.

“Scaffold materials have been explored to promote bone and skin wound healing, but adaptations for the oral cavity are limited,” Visser added.

The laboratory tests found the strontium-loaded scaffolds had increased the cellular activity of isolated gingival fibroblasts cells, while the hydrogel scaffold alone had little effect on the cells.

The research team

The other researchers include: Shahad Bakheet Alsharif, co-first author and faculty member at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia; Rofida Wali, co-first author and faculty member at Umm Al-Qura University in Saudi Arabia; and Bhoomika Sheth, quantum dot production engineer at STMicroelectronics. 

UB faculty, staff and students involved in the study include Mark Swihart, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and chemical and biological engineering student Kaiwen Chen, both in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; and Sebastiano Andreana, DDS, professor of restorative dentistry and director of implant dentistry, Rosemary Dziak, PhD, professor of oral biology, and Stephen Vanyo, research technician, all in the UB School of Dental Medicine.