Microscale technologies have great potential in the field of biomedicine. They can be used to make scaffolds that closely resemble the natural structure of tissues, for better comprehension of how cells respond in physiological settings, and to learn more about interactions between cells and environments.
According to the Global Burden of Disease Study (2016), periodontitis is the most prevalent oral disease in the world (11th place). The global prevalence of periodontal disease is expected to increase in the coming years due to growth in the aging population and the changing lifestyle. Awareness of retaining natural teeth has led to a significant reduction in tooth loss in the older population, thanks to regenerative materials and procedures. We have attempted to offer innovative design solutions by utilizing microfabrication and 3D printing technologies. We have created a customizable, three-layered scaffold that mimics the natural periodontium architecture for regenerative applications, using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) platform. The three layers of the movable polylactic acid (PLA) scaffold mimic the layers of the alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, and cementum in vivo. Multiple angulated PLA fibers that provide directional guidance and facilitate the anchoring are added to the scaffold. In order to enhance cell adherence and proliferation, the PLA scaffold's surface was further modified by adding coatings like collagen and varying the concentration of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA). We additionally attempted to employ GelMA to transform this design concept towards a 3D cell culture by incorporating the photopolymerizing capability of GelMA. By patterning micro-sized cellular constructs inside the microchannel, we are able to create a hydrogel-based 3D cell culture system that offers the cells a controlled microenvironment and strengthens our knowledge of the environment for future research.