Tissue Engineering in Periodontal Regeneration: Current and future trends in Periodontal Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering and life sciences towards the development of biological techniques. Tissue engineering aims to restore lost alveolar bone, periodontal ligament and root cementum into new functional periodontium. This approach reconstructs natural target tissue by combining these elements: cells that provide the machinery for new tissue growth and differentiation, growth factors that modulate the cellular activity and provide stimuli to cells to differentiate and produce matrix, scaffolds that guide and provide mechanical support to the forming tissues and an appropriate environment and time. With advances in TE, technological advances such as stem cells, gene editing, 3D bioprinting and nanotechnology enable the fabrication of tissue/organs with increasing complexities, resolution, and functionality, thereby supporting regenerative therapies tailored to specific patients and their needs.