Self- and Graft-Supported Human Gingival Fibroblasts Derived Cell Sheets As A Potential Source of Periodontal Regeneration: In Vitro Evaluation

Abstract Cellular deficiency in periodontal and peri-implant diseases represents the major challenge in treatment outcomes. Cell sheet therapy is an approach by which cell-to-cell communication through endogenous matrix secretion offers a good modification to increase the reliability of traditional cell therapy. In this study, sandwiching the rapidly resorbable scaffold with gingival fibroblasts to produce cell sheet supported graft material will be tried to produce a sheet with adequate thickness and stiffness for more predictable clinical outcomes in soft tissue augmentation. The present study will be performed to investigate the physicochemical characteristics of the produced cell sheets with the primary outcome, which is cell sheet thickness, and secondary outcomes, which are the number of viable cells, laminin and fibronectin production, resistance to mechanical forces, and cell morphology following gingival fibroblast expansion with or without rapidly resorbable construct.