ASSESSMENT OF THE BEHAVIOR OF DENTAL PULP STEM CELLS CULTURED ON PEEK AND TITANIUM SAMPLES

Aim: the following work assessed the behavior of human Dental Pulp Stem Cells (hDPSC) on PEEK and Titanium samples, in particular their ability to adhere, proliferate and differentiate into osteoblasts. Methods: surface modifications were made to the samples by pre-established protocols of sandblasting and laser micropatterning, to modulate surface roughness. After roughening treatments, samples were divided into two groups: nontreated and treated with air-plasma cleaning process to modulate surface wettability. The hDPSCs were harvested from dental elements and, after expansion in the proper medium, were seeded on the samples to study their behavior. The analyses for the adhesion and the proliferation were performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Alamar Blue test, while the differentiation in osteoblasts was evaluated by measuring AlkalinePhosphatase activity. Results: all the samples tested are able to support hDPSCs adhesion, proliferation and differentiation in osteoblasts with differences depending on the material nature and surface. Laser micropatterned titanium samples, in particular, were the best performing in terms of cell differentiation. Air-plasma treatment does not affect cell adhesion and proliferation but improves cell differentiation, in particular on Titanium samples. Conclusion: PEEK and Titanium are confirmed as excellent materials to support the adhesion, the proliferation and the differentiation of the hDPSCs. The biological behavior is strong