Researchers at NUST MISIS have developed a dental membrane with an antibacterial coating, which has the potential to restore jaw bone tissue. The product is created using a 3D printer, personalized to the specific damage of patients. After the polymer framework is implanted at the injury site, the necessary tissues grow on it, and the structure safely dissolves after a few months. The chosen polymer does not cause acidification of the defect area, which can slow down or even halt the regeneration process. Unlike existing non-resorbable analogs, the biodegradable membrane does not require a second surgical intervention for removal.
“The creation of new materials with specified properties for medicine today holds one of the priority significances for the national economy: biomedical engineering is an actively developing field that requires accelerated implementation of new technologies and commercialization of new products. Scientists at MISIS University, led by the young talented researcher, Director of the College of Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D. Fedor Senatov, have been conducting scientific research in the field of biomedicine for several years; many products have already been patented and found applications. Our scientists’ new development — a dental bioresorbable membrane — will enable the restoration of bone tissue and will be in demand in maxillofacial surgery,” said Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS.
Maxillofacial surgery addresses complex tasks related to restoring bone tissue after injuries, surgeries, or diseases. A barrier membrane plays an important role in this process — it serves as a framework that holds grafts in place and creates conditions for the growth of bone cells in damaged areas. The structure prevents soft tissues from overgrowing and interfering with the proper formation of bone tissue in the restoration zone, while the antibacterial coating protects the defect area from infection.
“Almost every operation for restoring and augmenting jaw bone tissue includes a stage of membrane installation. Up to 90% of patients planning to have implants placed in the upper jaw and up to 50% in the lower jaw require bone augmentation due to atrophy. The development of bioresorbable polymer membranes for guided bone regeneration meets the growing demand for effective methods to treat bone tissue defects,” noted Anna Cheremnykh, lead engineer of the scientific project at the Scientific and Educational Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at NUST MISIS.
Membranes can be resorbable or non-resorbable. The former dissolve and do not damage the mucous membrane, but due to their softness, they are not used for augmenting large volumes of jaw bone. The latter allow for significant volumes of bone tissue restoration but require a repeat operation for their removal and can damage the mucous membrane.
At NUST MISIS, all advantages and disadvantages of existing solutions have been considered, leading to the development of a durable bioresorbable membrane capable of withstanding mechanical loads over an extended period for bone regeneration in the jaw area.
“Unlike analogs, personalized membranes reduce the risks of soft tissue damage and eliminate the need for additional processing. We used a composite material similar in properties to native bone. Its high mechanical characteristics effectively maintain space under the membrane for bone tissue restoration. The necessary biodegradation time is about
3-9 months. Therefore, it was important to find a polymer that meets these requirements,” said Daria Stepanova, project author and student at NUST MISIS.
This development aims to expand access to personalized and high-tech medical solutions. Future plans include detailed studies on the characteristics and degradation times of the membrane in vitro and testing of the antibacterial coating.
With this development, the NUST MISIS team entered the top 50 of the annual International Festival of Student Entrepreneurship “Moscow — Starting Point” in the “I Create a Business” track. The project will be refined with the help of experts from the “Innovators Academy” accelerator and will have the opportunity to seek investments and clients.
