An Antimicrobial Dental Light Curable Bioadhesive Hydrogel for Treatment of Peri-Implant Diseases

Dental implants remain the standard of care to replace missing teeth, which has led to an increase in the number of patients affected by peri-implant diseases (PIDs). Here, we report the development of an antimicrobial bioadhesive, GeIAMP, for the treatment of PIDs. The hydrogel is based on a visible-light-activated naturally derived polymer (gelatin) and an antimicrobial peptide (AMP). The optimized formulation of GeIAMP could be rapidly crosslinked using commercial dental curing systems. When compared with commercial adhesives, GeIAMP exhibited significantly higher adhesion to physiological tissues and titanium surfaces. Moreover, the bioadhesive showed high cytocompatibility and could efficiently promote cell proliferation and migration in vitro. GeIAMP also showed remarkable antimicrobial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis. Furthermore, it could support the growth of autologous bone after sealing calvarial bone defects in mice. Overall, GeIAMP could be used as a platform for the development of more effective therapies against PIDs.