LIVING CELL CONSTRUCTS IN PERIODONTAL SOFT TISSUE AUGMENTATION

The implantation of living cells in scaffold materials (tissue engineered constructs [TECs]) has represented a new line in the field of soft tissue grafting. It has been suggested that one of the main advantages of living cell-based technology is the ability to communicate with the host by modulating cytokine expression.9 Living cellular constructs based on fibroblasts, keratinocytes alone or in combination have been developed and used as alternatives to autogenous soft tissue grafts in keratinized tissue augmentation and in root coverage procedures. Their promising advantages include reduced patient morbidity, unlimited graft availability, and comparable esthetics.