Construction of biomimetic hydroxyapatite bilayer scaffolds via DLP 3D printing for bio-root regeneration.

Authors

Zhuoping Bai, Xingyu Gui, Boqing Zhang, Xian He, Hui Peng, Changchun Zhou, Ziyang Yang, Jie Chen, Wenli Lai

Published in

Journal of materials chemistry. B. Sep 01, 2026. Epub Sep 01, 2026.

Abstract

Digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing of hydroxyapatite (HA) bioceramics offers a promising strategy for fabricating complex, patient-specific bio-root scaffolds with high resolution and bioactivity. However, achieving adequate mechanical integrity while guiding the formation of a periodontal ligament (PDL)-like enthesis through structural optimisation remains a major challenge. Inspired by interfacial micromorphological cues that regulate both intrinsic mechanical properties and cellular responses, this study proposed a novel bone-root integrated design for a DLP 3D-printed bio-root scaffold. The scaffold incorporated a diamond-shaped core optimised through finite element analysis and recapitulated the differential pore structure of the native tooth-bone interface, thereby exhibiting superior mechanical properties compared with conventional hollow bio-root scaffolds. Furthermore, it provided an optimised microenvironment that supported the proliferation and expansive growth of human dental follicle stem cells, promoted the oriented formation of enthesis-like fibres, and facilitated osteogenic differentiation through physical contact guidance and metabolic modulation in vitro. In vivo, subcutaneous implantation in nude mice and evaluation in a rat calvarial defect model demonstrated that the bilayer bone-root scaffold promoted the regeneration of PDL-like structures and differentiation into periodontium-like tissue. Transcriptomic profiling further revealed activation of key signalling pathways related to osteogenesis and angiogenesis, including the upregulation of extracellular matrix proteins, activation of the BMP-2/Runx-2 axis, and chemokine networks that support vascular ingrowth. Collectively, this bilayer bone-root structural design provides a transferable paradigm that balances mechanical durability with biological inductive capacity, offering a practical template for next-generation bio-root scaffolds adaptable to diverse biomaterials.

PMID:
42677996
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Sep 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.