A Tooth Organ Bioreactor Platform Combining Hydrogel Scaffolds and Smart Dental Biomaterials for Dentine–Pulp Complex Regeneration
Description: This project aims to optimise and evaluate a newly developed tooth organ bioreactor at Ghent University (TO-BRAG, patent in progress) as a translational platform for dentine–pulp complex regeneration. A smart, pH-sensitive bioceramic biomaterial loaded with growth factors will be developed to enable targeted and controlled delivery within the dentine–pulp complex. Human dental pulp stem cells will be isolated from both healthy and inflamed pulp tissue, followed by proteomic analysis to identify key immunomodulatory proteins relevant to regeneration. A hydrogel-based scaffold incorporating autologous dental pulp stem cells and selected proteins will be optimised and tested within the tooth organ bioreactor. In addition, the effect of photobiomodulation on dental pulp regeneration will be investigated using low-level laser irradiation at 810 nm. Together, this integrated approach aims to advance biologically driven, clinically relevant strategies for functional dental pulp regeneration.
Funder: Vlaamse regering
Funding type: grant
Funder scheme: BOF - projects
Start date: 2026-01-01
End date: 2027-12-31
Investigator: Sivaprakash Rajasekharan
Institution: UGent
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: bof/baf/4y/26/1/063
OpenAlex ID: G7949389983