Time resolved 3D live-cell imaging on implants

PLoS One. 2018 Oct 10;13(10):e0205411. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205411. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

It is estimated that two million new dental implants are inserted worldwide each year. Innovative implant materials are developed in order to minimize the risk of peri-implant inflammations. The broad range of material testing is conducted using standard 2D, terminal, and invasive methods. The methods that have been applied are not sufficient to monitor the whole implant surface and temporal progress. Therefore, we built a 3D peri-implant model using a cylindrical implant colonized by human gingival fibroblasts. In order to monitor the cell response over time, a non-toxic LIVE/DEAD staining was established and applied to the new 3D model. Our LIVE/DEAD staining method in combination with the time resolved 3D visualization using Scanning Laser Optical Tomography (SLOT), allowed us to monitor the cell death path along the implant in the 3D peri-implant model. The differentiation of living and dead gingival fibroblasts in response to toxicity was effectively supported by the LIVE/DEAD staining. Furthermore, it was possible to visualize the whole cell-colonized implant in 3D and up to 63 hours. This new methodology offers the opportunity to record the long-term cell response on external stress factors, along the dental implant and thus to evaluate the performance of novel materials/surfaces.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Culture Media / chemistry
  • Culture Media / pharmacology
  • Dental Implants / adverse effects*
  • Dental Stress Analysis / methods*
  • Fibrin / chemistry
  • Fibrin / pharmacology
  • Fibroblasts / pathology
  • Gingiva / diagnostic imaging*
  • Gingiva / pathology
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry
  • Polyethylene Glycols / pharmacology
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • Staining and Labeling
  • Time Factors
  • Titanium / chemistry
  • Titanium / pharmacology
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods

Substances

  • Culture Media
  • Dental Implants
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Fibrin
  • Titanium

Grants and funding

The BIOFABRICATION FOR NIFE Initiative is financially supported by the ministry of Lower Saxony and the VolkswagenStiftung (both BIOFABRICATION FOR NIFE: VWZN2860). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.