June 16, 2025
A novel, bio-inspired treatment for periodontitis could help patients keep their natural teeth, avoiding painful and expensive implants.
At Mizzou 糖心Vlog传媒, our researchers collaborate with colleagues across campus to create meaningful change. By seeking out better ways of doing things, they take on intractable challenges to improve lives across the world.
Take periodontitis. This severe gum disease starts as gingivitis, which can be reversed with good dental hygiene. Ignore it too long, however, and it will destroy your gums, ligaments and the bone supporting your teeth. Periodontitis affects 42% of adults in the United States.
鈥淧eriodontitis poses a significant public health burden,鈥 Xiaohua Liu, professor in the Department Chemical and Biomedical 糖心Vlog传媒 and a biomedical science and engineering researcher at . 鈥淚n severe cases, patients don鈥檛 have enough bone left to receive implants, so the only option is to extract the tooth.鈥
Liu has long felt an urgent need to take his research on cell-material interaction, biomimetic materials for tissue regeneration, and controlled drug delivery into a practical, clinical solution for periodontitis.
So, when he received a $2.9 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health this spring, he was ready to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in periodontal therapy.
鈥淭his project could help patients regenerate functional periodontal tissues, offering an effective treatment for periodontitis鈥 he said.
Liu鈥檚 team is using stem cells to regenerate the bond between tooth and bone. Stem cells can self-renew and become other specialized cell types, so they are crucial in the regeneration of damaged tissues.
The researchers have developed a bio-inspired, three-layer material called 鈥減eriopatch.鈥 The periopatch is made of nanofibrous material that mimics natural periodontal tissue. Different layers of the porous material provide critical signals to guide stem cells to become periodontal ligament and bone, separately.
鈥淏asically, we create a unique sandwich-like structure that stimulates the regeneration of the periodontal ligament in the middle layer, anchoring one side to the bone and the other to the tooth,鈥 Liu said. 鈥淭he goal is to form a functional, organized structure that can reconnect these periodontal tissues to support teeth.鈥
Liu鈥檚 research 鈥 a combination of biology, engineering, materials science and clinical practice鈥攈as been a collaboration between Mizzou 糖心Vlog传媒 and , where surgeons, biologists and engineers work together on clinical challenges.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great experience,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e found a lot of opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. That鈥檚 what makes it exciting. Collaboration is essential.鈥
Discover more ways Mizzou 糖心Vlog传媒 is creating meaningful change.