Helping damaged tooth pulp regrow with blood vessels and infection protection
Official title: Angiogenic and Anti-microbial Supports for Pulp Regeneration
Funded at University of Houston · NIH-11398315 · Data updated 2026-11-12
An injectable peptide gel designed to help injured tooth pulp regrow healthy, blood-vessel-rich tissue while keeping bacteria away for people with inflamed or damaged dental pulp.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2026 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $582,724 |
| NIH project number | 7R01DE031812-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398315 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with severely inflamed or injured dental pulp who are interested in regenerative alternatives to conventional root canal therapy, especially younger patients with intact root tips, would be the best candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with extensively necrotic or heavily infected teeth, non-restorable teeth, or medical conditions that impair healing may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If your tooth pulp is damaged or inflamed, researchers plan to place an injectable gel made from short amino-acid chains into the pulp canal to act as a scaffold. The gel self-assembles in the body, providing mechanical support and biological signals to encourage blood vessel and soft-tissue ingrowth. It is also formulated to resist bacterial colonization that can prolong inflammation. The approach aims to restore living pulp-like tissue instead of leaving the tooth devitalized after standard treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help preserve living tooth tissue with restored blood supply and nerves and reduce the likelihood of reinfection and permanent devitalization.
How similar studies have gone: Some regenerative endodontic techniques using scaffolds and stem-cell approaches have shown promise, but combining self-assembling peptide hydrogels with antimicrobial support is a relatively new strategy.
Where this research is happening
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University of Houston
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kumar, Vivek — University of Houston
- Study coordinator: Kumar, Vivek
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.