Adult Stem Cells Properties in Terms of Commitment, Aging and Biological Safety of Grit-Blasted and Acid-Etched Ti Dental Implants Surfaces

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Chiara Gardin 1
Letizia Ferroni 1
Eriberto Bressan 2
José L. Calvo - Guirado 3
Marco Degidi 4
Adriano Piattelli 5
Barbara Zavan 1
1 Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
2 Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
3 Department of General Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
4 Private Practice, Bologna, Italy
5 Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti, Italy
Abstract
Titanium (Ti) is one of the most widely used biomaterials for manufacturing dental implants. The implant
surface properties strongly influence osseointegration. The aim of the present study was to in vitro investigate
the characteristics of Ti dental implants in terms of mutagenicity, hemocompatibility, biocompatibility,
osteoinductivity and biological safety. The Ames test was used to test the mutagenicity of the Ti dental implants,
and the hemolysis assay for evaluating their hemocompatibility. Human adipose - derived stem cells (ADSCs)
were then seeded onto these implants in order to evaluate their cytotoxicity. Gene expression analyzing with
real-time PCR was carried out to investigate the osteoinductivity of the biomaterials. Finally, the genetic stability
of the cells cultured onto dental implants was determined by karyotyping. Our results demonstrated that Ti dental
implants are not mutagenic, do not cause hemolysis, and are biocompatible. The MTT assay revealed that
ADSCs, seeded on Ti dental implants, proliferate up to 30 days in culture. Moreover, ADSCs loaded on Ti
dental implants show a substantial expression of some osteoblast specific markers, such as COL1A1, OPN,
ALPL, and RUNX2, as well as chromosomal stability after 30 days of culture in a medium without osteogenic
factors. In conclusion, the grit-blasted and acid-etched treatment seems to favor the adhesion and proliferation of
ADSCs and improve the osteoinductivity of Ti dental implant surfaces.
Keywords
Titanium dental implants
surface properties
adipose- derived stem cells
biocompatibility
osteogenic differentiation