Combination of Bioactive Polymeric Membranes and Stem Cells for Periodontal Regeneration: In Vitro and In Vivo Analyses

Regeneration of periodontal tissues requires a concerted effort to obtain consistent and predictable results in vivo. The aim of the present study was to test a new family of bioactive polymeric membranes in combination with stem cell therapy for periodontal regeneration. In particular, the novel polyester poly(isosorbide succinate-co-L-lactide) (PisPLLA) was compared with poly(L-lactide) (PLLA). Both polymers were combined with collagen (COL), hydroxyapatite (HA) and the growth factor bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7), and their osteoinductive capacity was evaluated via in vitro and in vivo experiments. Membranes composed of PLLA/COL/HA or PisPLLA/COL/HA were able to promote periodontal regeneration and new bone formation in fenestration defects in rat jaws. According to quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Alizarin Red assays, better osteoconductive capacity and increased extracellular mineralization were observed for PLLA/COL/HA, whereas better osteoinductive properties were associated with PisPLLA/COL/HA. We concluded that membranes composed of either PisPLLA/COL/HA or PLLA/COL/HA present promising results in vitro as well as in vivo and that these materials could be potentially applied in periodontal regeneration.