About the Project

Despite the great successes that dental implants have achieved, stability of titanium based implants is now under scrutiny. Corrosion and titanium particle release might play a role in dental implant complications. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are particles released from cells that play a role in cellular communication in physiological processes and pathological events. It is thought that EVs enhance implant integration and they could play an important role in modulating the surrounding environment. Recent studies have shown that coating implant surfaces with EVs derived from a variety of sources (such as platelets and gingival fibroblasts) enhances early osseointegration. Understanding the effect of the implant material on EVs released from different oral cells is essential, especially with the ability of EVs to affect immune cell function. Immune modulation and inflammation play an important role in osseointegration and potential implant failure. Therefore, understanding how variations in implant materials, such as surface chemistry, corrosion or particle release from titanium, or more inert alternatives such as zirconia could affect EVs released from different oral cells could help our understanding of osseointegration and ultimately inform developing more stable implants.

The aim of this project is therefore to study the effect of different dental implant materials on extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by different oral cells.

The project provides an exceptional opportunity for the student to benefit from diverse expertise and to be exposed to cutting edge techniques including cell culture, flow cytometry, microscopy, image analysis, preparation and modification of dental material properties in addition to gaining in depth knowledge of dental implant materials and the biology of extracellular vesicles.