Project 1. Tissue engineering and microfluidics in the control of biofilm dependent oral diseases and their local and systemic implications
Biofilms are involved in the etiopathogenetic of dental caries and periodontitis, the two most common oral diseases for dentists in their practice. In addition, contemporary medicine is facing the spread of biofilm-related infections and the presence of oral biofilm has been linked to systemic problems such as ventilator-associated pneumonia, infective endocarditis, and other cardiovascular diseases. Considering that microorganisms, when organized in biofilms, are inherently more tolerant to host defenses and antibiotic treatments, and that the estimated costs are US $ 544.41 billion, studies of oral microorganisms associated with dental caries, methods for their control and treatment, as well as to understand their potential systemic repercussions are relevant. The integration of microflora with tissue engineering is responsible for the development of devices capable of integrating complex physical environments that mimic the normal environment of organs and cultured tissues, making these models similar to those found in vivo. Microfluidic devices simulate interactions between cells, tissues and even between various organs and treatments, allowing the study of various biological processes, which are not possible using conventional or 2D cell culture systems. In dentistry, microfluidics is an emerging technology that also allows the assessment of odontoblastic changes as well as its relationship with the interface formed between dentin and dental materials, representing an innovative technology for the understanding of cellular and extracellular interactions by the evaluation of the pulp response (differentiation, viability, morphology). This project includes 3 research activities: (1) Studies on biofilms related to dental and oral caries; (2) Evaluation of dental materials used in restorative dental caries treatments using microfluidic devices; (3) Evaluate potential “organ-on-chip” applications for the study of oral microorganisms. The main objective is to investigate the use of tissue engineering associated with microfluidics, using microorganisms and oral biofilms, to understand potential systemic repercussions of biofilm-dependent oral diseases (dental caries), as well as to develop and test new dental materials and therapies, thus evaluating their interactions and effects on specific cells or tissues.
