Theme: Scaffolds for Use in Regenerative Dental Medicine
Sponsored by: Dental Materials, Implantology Research, Periodontal Research
Description: Dental and craniofacial diseases and trauma can seriously alter facial appearance and impair oral functions. Regeneration of tissues is the ultimate goal in dental treatment restoring the homeostasis. Recent strategies in regenerative medicine and dentistry are based on a new approach using scaffolding materials, which provide a three-dimensional environment for cells and serve as templates for tissue regeneration.  Biological response to implanted scaffolds could be enhanced by (1) optimizing the scaffold composition to change the material properties, (2) optimizing the scaffold design, and (3) functionalizing the scaffold surface.  The speakers in this symposium will discuss various biological scaffolds for their material properties and designs presenting in vitro and in vivo data on different aspects of tissue-engineered constructs. Usage of scaffolds for dental stem cell introduction into the defect site, cell proliferation, differentiation and angiogenesis will be covered.
Learning Objectives:
To learn the mechanism of dental stem cell adhesion, differentiation and proliferation within scaffolds.
To learn different types of scaffold material characteristics and their development for tissue engineering.
To learn the mechanism of angiogenesis and tissue formation/maturation within scaffolds.