Engineering platelet-derived extracellular vesicles for regeneration of oral tissue

Specialist dentists, such as periodontists or implantologists, routinely use autologous platelet concentrate to help regenerate soft and hard tissue. Compared to other materials like soft tissue grafts, platelet concentrates have the advantages of not being rejected by the immune system, high biosafety, and low cost. However, the utility and efficacy of platelet concentrates remains controversial because there is no standard method for preparing or using them in a clinical setting. As such, each method yields a different product with different biological characteristics and potential uses.

Sun et al. reviewed the current literature on platelet concentrates and their dental applications. The study discusses the clinical applications and the underlying mechanism of platelet concentrates and platelet-derived extracellular vesicles for promoting tissue regeneration in implant dentistry and regenerative periodontology.

“We believe it will be of great interest for readers to have an up-to-date review that brings together all the different aspects of preparation and applications of platelet concentrates and platelet-derived extracellular vesicles for periodontology and implant dentistry,” author Chengqi Lyu said, adding that the topic was discussed at the 2018 European Association for Osseointegration Consensus Conference, which aims to help dental experts reach a consensus on clinically important areas of implant dentistry based on current progress.

The team hopes that readers of the review will not only gain an understanding of the current literature, but also use that understanding to develop better ways of synthesizing and applying platelet concentrates to dental applications.

“Engineering platelet-derived extracellular vesicles is a new approach and will enhance their potential in biomedical applications, such as targeted therapy toward angiogenesis,” author Jiayu Lu said.

Source: “Emerging roles of platelet concentrates and platelet-derived extracellular vesicles in regenerative periodontology and implant dentistry,” by Jiayue Sun, Yinghan Hu, Yinxin Fu, Derong Zou, Jiayu Lu, and Chengqi Lyu, APL Bioengineering (2022). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0099872 .

This paper is part of the Drug/Gene Delivery and Theranostics Collection, learn more here .