Graphene materials have received wide attention from scholars in the field of stomatology due to their superior properties. Its research involves antibacterial properties, osteogenic differentiation, tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery, and so on. But at the same time, studies have shown that graphene and its derivatives may cause a certain degree of damage to cells and organs, so its biological safety has always been paid attention to.

Research on graphene materials in the field of stomatology

01

Antibacterial properties

In the field of stomatology, research results show that graphene has a strong antibacterial effect on the main pathogenic bacteria such as streptococcus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum against dental caries, periodontitis and peri-implantitis. Microscope See below. After the pathogenic bacteria are in contact with the graphene material, they lose their original shape and integrity, and there are holes on the surface, the content flows out, and the bacteria die. With the deepening of research, graphene materials are added to commonly used dental restoration materials, giving traditional materials new antibacterial properties.

02

Promote tissue regeneration

A large number of studies have shown that graphene materials have excellent osteogenic effects, which can promote the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblasts and induce the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts. The researchers added 2.0% graphene oxide (GO) to the hydroxyapatite and used it for the surface coating of the titanium sheet. This coating not only promotes the proliferation of L929 cells and MG63 cells, but also enhances the combination of the coating and the titanium sheet Strength and corrosion resistance of titanium sheet. Another study is to load a single layer of graphene on the surface of a titanium sheet, then inoculate human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSC) and human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) on the surface of the titanium sheet and implant them under the skin of the back of nude mice, and X-rays after 8 weeks The test results show that the amount of bone matrix formed on the surface of single-layer graphene is higher than that of pure titanium. Researchers believe that graphene is an ideal modification material for implant surface coating and bone biomaterials.

03

Drug delivery

Graphene materials contain more oxygen-containing functional groups and unique sp2 hybrid orbitals, making them have great application potential in drug delivery. In order to increase the loading of BMP2 and vancomycin-rich drug-loaded microspheres on the titanium scaffold, the researchers deposited graphene oxide on the titanium scaffold, using its extremely high specific surface area and its own functional groups and drug-loading microspheres. The interaction between them increases the drug loading from 30% to 60%. At the same time, the interaction of π-π bond and hydrogen bond between minocycline phosphate and graphene oxide is used to make minocycline phosphate more firmly loaded on the surface of graphene oxide to achieve long-term sustained release and long-term antibacterial expected result. In addition, some scholars load graphene materials on the surface of titanium implants, and use the adsorption effect of π-π bonds in graphene and dexamethasone (DEX) to load dexamethasone, an osteoinductive drug, on the surface of the implants. The experimental results show that the implant exhibits a good and long-term bone-promoting function, achieving the purpose of promoting the osseointegration of the implant.

Research on the Biosafety of Graphene Materials

With the continuous in-depth study of graphene materials in the scientific community, its biological safety has gradually attracted attention. The biological safety of good materials is a prerequisite for their application in the biomedical field. The following will describe the properties of graphene materials.

Studies have found that the complex between the hydrogen bonds and ionic bonds on the surface of GO and the polar groups on the small interference RNA (siRNA) nucleotide chain can cause gene silencing. After the graphene solution is co-cultured with the cells, it can be seen under the laser confocal microscope that the graphene material is deposited around the actin filaments and mitochondria, which affects the role of actin filaments in the cell division cycle, changes the cell cycle, and leads to cells Apoptosis: After the graphene material contacts the electron transport chain in the mitochondria, it can inhibit the ability of Fe-S center to reduce Fe3+ to Fe2+, thereby interfering with mitochondrial ATP synthesis.

Conclusion and Outlook
Graphene materials have received extensive attention due to their excellent properties, and research on their applications in the field of stomatology is also increasing. Its antibacterial properties, the ability to induce osteogenic differentiation of stem cells, the ability to promote periodontal soft and hard tissue regeneration, and the ability to deliver drugs, etc. All aspects have been confirmed. However, to safely apply graphene materials to clinics, a series of in-depth studies are needed, including: (1) Specific research on the effects of graphene materials on each organelle and possible consequences; (2) The use of intraoral To perform toxicity experiments on various cells and tissues, and select the appropriate loading amount and loading method of graphene materials according to different needs to ensure that it has good biological safety; (3) The in vitro experimental environment and the real environment in vivo are relatively large However, the selected graphene materials still need to be subjected to comprehensive and long-term in vivo toxicity experiments in order to provide theoretical basis and scientific guidance for their safe application.

Source of information: Graphene Research Institute
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