Rachel Li
Poughkeepsie, NY
Age 17
Periodontitis is the inflammation of gingival tissue and the leading cause of tooth loss. In this study, we synthesized novel gelatin and Phronic ® F127 hybrid hydrogels with improved mechanical strength and evaluated their performance in vitro as GBR barrier membranes. Theological analysis revealed a five-fold increase in elastic modulus in hybrid hydrogels compared to pure gelatin. We propose that this improved mechanical strength is attributed to three factors. Hybrid gels greatly surpassed the elastic modulus values predicted by the rubber elasticity theory model. Confocal microscopy performed on hybrid gels plated with human dermal bivroblasts revealed significantly reduced cell attachment compared to pure gelatin. 3D reconstruction from confocal image data confirms that hybrid gels remained impermeable to cells. Our findings suggest that gelatin-F127 hybrid hydrogels are promising biomaterials for GBR barrier membranes in periodontitis treatment.