Nano‐Engineered Titanium Implants Loaded With Gingival Fibroblasts‐Derived Microvesicles Enhance Early Osseointegration And Soft Tissue Attachment In Vivo

Read full text
Authors: Pingping Han, Chun Xia Liu, Anjana Jayasree, Kamil A. Sokolowski, Andrew Liaw, D. Liu, Carlos Salomón, Karan Gulati, Ryan SB Lee, Baoxin Huang, Sašo Ivanovski
Cited by: 2
References: 38

Abstract

ABSTRACT Titanium dental implants require both reliable osseointegration and peri‐implant soft tissue seal formation to ensure long‐term success. While osseointegration has been widely studied, strategies to optimize soft tissue healing remain underexplored. In this study, we developed titania nanopore (TNP) implant surfaces functionalized with human primary gingival fibroblasts‐derived microvesicles (hGFs‐MVs) to investigate early peri‐implant soft and hard tissue healing in vivo. hGFs‐MVs were enriched, characterized, and loaded onto TNP implants at 10 9 particles per implant (2 mm × 3 mm) via passive adsorptive loading. Rat first molars were extracted, and implants were placed into healed sockets after 4 weeks. Animals were assigned to TNP or hGFs‐MVs/TNP groups (n = 5–6) and assessed at 1 and 4 weeks by micro‐CT and histology. Cryo‐electron microscopy confirmed the double‐membrane structure of hGFs‐MVs, and in vitro release studies showed peak vesicle release at day 3. Histology revealed early osteoid formation at week 1 and mature mineralized bone by week 4. hGFs‐MVs/TNP implants exhibited significantly higher percentage of bone‐to‐implant contact (BIC%) at 4 weeks. Importantly, the hGFs‐MVs/TNP group showed markedly enhanced soft tissue attachment and mature collagen fibers. These ‘proof‐of‐concept’ findings suggest that hGFs‐MVs‐loaded TNP implants enhance both in vivo osseointegration and soft tissue integration, providing a clinically relevant, cell‐free strategy for improving peri‐implant healing.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Oral microbiology and periodontitis research Dental Implant Techniques and Outcomes Extracellular vesicles in disease

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Healthcare Materials
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
15
Issue
13
Pages
e04516–e04516
Publication date
15 January 2026
Language
EN