3D-printed bone implants to rebuild bone lost from gum disease
Official title: A novel bioengineering approach to restoring permanent periodontal inflammatory bone loss
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11318988 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new 3D-printed bone implant is being developed to help people who have lost jaw bone around their teeth from chronic gum disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $814,154 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE032406-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11318988 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with significant alveolar bone loss due to chronic periodontitis or inflammatory bone loss around teeth or implants would be the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without inflammatory bone loss, those with minor gum disease, or individuals with medical conditions that prevent healing (for example uncontrolled systemic illness) may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers are designing a 3D-printed bone implant that aims to regenerate alveolar bone destroyed by long-term gum inflammation. The approach combines engineered materials and scaffold shapes intended to hold volume and encourage new bone growth where traditional grafts fail. The team plans lab work and preclinical testing to see if the implant resists inflammation and supports bone formation better than current grafts. If promising, the work could move toward clinical testing at a hospital setting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could restore lost jaw bone so people can keep or better support teeth and dental implants, improving chewing, speaking, and appearance.
How similar studies have gone: Previous bone grafts and some 3D-printed scaffold approaches have shown partial success in lab and animal work but have not reliably restored bone lost to chronic inflammation, so this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jang, Hae Lin — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Jang, Hae Lin
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.