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Bone tissue engineering is a complicated field requiring concerted participation of cells, scaffolds, and osteoactive molecules to replace damaged bone. This study synthesized a chitosan-based (CS) scaffold incorporated with trichostatin A (TSA), an epigenetic modifier molecule, to achieve promising bone regeneration potential. The scaffolds with various biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) proportions: 0%, 10%, 20%, and 40% were fabricated. The addition of BCP improved the scaffolds’ mechanical properties and delayed the degradation rate, whereas 20% BCP scaffold matched the appropriate scaffold requirements. The proper concentration of TSA was also validated. Our developed scaffold released TSA and sustained them for up to three days. The scaffold with 800 nM of TSA showed excellent biocompatibility and induced robust osteoblast-related gene expression in the primary human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs). To evaluate in vivo bone regeneration potential, the scaffolds were implanted in the mice calvarial defect model. The excellent bone regeneration ability was further demonstrated in the micro-CT and histology sections compared to both negative control and commercial bone graft product. New bone formed in the CS/BCP/TSA group revealed a trabeculae-liked characteristic of the mature bone as early as six weeks. The CS/BCP/TSA scaffold is an up-and-coming candidate for the bone tissue engineering scaffold.

The aim of this study was to prepare experimental resin-modified glass ionomer cements (RMGICs) containing low levels of hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) for pulp protection. Liquid and powder phases of the experimental RMGICs were polyacid functionalized with methacrylate groups and spherical pre-reacted glass fillers (SPG). Two types of liquid phase containing 0 wt. % HEMA (CM liquid) or 5 wt. % HEMA (CMH liquid) were formulated. The experimental RMGICs were prepared by mixing SPG fillers with CM liquid (F1) or CMH liquid (F2). Rheological properties were examined using a strain-controlled rheometer (n = 5). The Vickers microhardness (n = 5) and dentin shear bond strength (SBS) (n = 10) of the materials were tested. Commercial pulp protection materials (Vitrebond and TheraCal LC) were used as comparisons. The viscosity and surface microhardness of F1 (22 m Pa·s, 18 VHN) and F2 (18 m Pa·s, 16 VHN) were significantly higher than those of Vitrebond (6 mPa·s, 6 VHN) and TheraCal (0.1 mPa·s, 7 VHN). The SBS of F1 (10.7 MPa) and F2 (11.9 MPa) was comparable to that of Vitrebond (15.4 MPa) but higher than that of TheraCal LC (5.6 MPa). The addition of 5 wt. % HEMA showed no significant effect on viscosity, surface microhardness, or SBS of the experimental RMGICs. The experimental materials showed higher viscosity and microhardness but similar SBS when compared with the commercial RMGIC.