Engaging a polylactide copolymer in oral tissue regeneration: first validation of Suprathel(®) for guided epithelial and osseous healing

The present study investigated the capacity of Suprathel(®) (a copolymer membrane, so far validated for skin regeneration) to also regenerate oral tissue – mucosa and bone, by comparing this biomaterial, in a split-mouth rabbit model, to Mucoderm(®), a xenogeneic collagen matrix certified for keratinized oral mucosa healing. The clinical reason behind this experimental animal model was to determine whether the benefits of this advanced skin regeneration product (Suprathel(®)) could be conveyed for future evaluation in clinical trials of oral tissue regeneration in humans. The outcomes of this study validated the use of Suprathel(®), a terpolymer of polylactide with trimethylene carbonate and ε-caprolactone, for stimulation of oral epithelium and alveolar bone regeneration in rabbits. Both Suprathel(®) and Mucoderm(®) exhibited comparable results and the null hypothesis stating a comparable regenerating effect of these two materials could not be rejected.