Tiny bricks for oral bioprinting: Exploring gingiva and dental pulp-derived organ building blocks

Today, organ building blocks (OBBs) serve as important tools for in vitro tissue modeling, personalized medicine, and regenerative approaches. Despite substantial advances in dental reconstruction methods, tissues of the oral cavity remain challenging to regenerate due to their complex structure and microenvironment. However, effective regeneration of the periodontal complex, e.g., in diseases such as periodontitis, persists, as current methods do not achieve complete tissue restoration. Cells from the gingiva and dental pulp are accessible sources of mesenchymal stem cells with high regenerative potential, making them promising materials for creating OBBs. These cells can serve as fundamental units for restoring the periodontal complex using techniques such as 3D bioprinting. This study aims to characterize and compare OBBs derived from gingival cells, pulp cells, and their combinations by assessing key parameters, including morphology, extracellular matrix composition, biomechanical properties, histology, and metabolic activity. Combining the two cell types improved the structural, mechanical, and functional properties of OBBs, making them more suitable for bioprinting than those derived from a single cell type. Moreover, all types of OBBs from the two cell cultures may be suitable as components of bioinks, depending on the specific purposes. The results provide insights into the potential use of these cell sources for tissue engineering and the development of personalized periodontal bio-constructs that may significantly improve treatment approaches for oral diseases.