EL Mostafa Raif

University of Leeds · Department of Oral Biology

Chitosan (CS), a biopolymer, holds significant potential in bone regeneration due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability attributes. While crustacean-derived CS is conventionally used in research, there is growing interest in fungal-derived CS for its equally potent properties in bone regenerative applications. Here, we investigated the physi...

Objective This review aims to collate the current knowledge in the field of antimicrobial surfaces on dental implant materials, focusing on microbial population and functional responses, predominantly from omics-based studies. Design Extensive searching of Scopus and Pubmed databases informed a narrative review on the antimicrobial impact of impla...

Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate (DCPD) mineral scaffolds alone do not possess the mechanical flexibility, ease of physicochemical properties’ tuneability or suitable porosity required for regenerative bone scaffolds. Herein, we fabricated highly porous freeze-dried chitosan scaffolds embedded with different concentrations of Dicalcium Phosphate Dihyd...

Bone healing is a complex process, and if not managed successfully, it can lead to non-union, metal-work failure, bacterial infections, physical and psychological patient impairment. Due to the growing urgency to minimise antibiotic dependency, alternative treatment strategies, including the use of nanoparticles, have attracted significant attentio...

Aim To investigate the vascularisation capacity of a decellularised dental pulp matrix (DDP) of bovine origin seeded with human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) in vitro and to present preliminary in vivo findings. Methodology Bovine dental pulps were decellularised and then analysed using histological staining and DNA quantification. The resultant...

Bone healing is a complex process, and if not managed, can lead to bacterial infections, non-union and compromised healing of bone. The broad overuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Due to the growing urgency to minimise the dependency on antibiotic drugs, alternative treatment strategies, including the use...

Implementing the principles of tissue engineering within the clinical management of non-vital immature permanent teeth is of clinical interest. However, the ideal scaffold remains elusive. The aim of this work was to assess the feasibility of decellularising rat dental pulp tissue and evaluate the ability of such scaffold to support stem cell repop...

The calcium phosphate is the main mineral constituent of bone. Although there has been significant amount of research on finding ideal synthetic bone, no suitable scaffold material has yet been found. In this investigation, the iron doped brushite (CaHPO4·2H2O) has been investigated for osteogenic potential and mechanical properties. The synthesis...

In this work, we aim to investigate the effect of Fe2+/Fe3+ doping on the laser sintering of calcium phosphate minerals for the fabrication of bone scaffolds. The laser-matter mechanisms and the biological response are discussed.

An IR femtosecond pulsed laser was used for micropatterning of biomineral containing chitosan membranes, aiming to enhance bone mineralization and angiogenesis. Pre and post irradiation materials have been characterized with XRD, SEM and spectroscopic techniques.

This study investigated the synergistic effect of fluorapatite (FA) coatings and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and mineralisation with a view to the use of this combination in enhancing osseointegration of dental implants. Stainless steel (SS) discs tilted at 45° were hydrothermally coated with FA cryst...

Aim: To investigate the feasibility of decellularising the entire dental pulp using a mild treatment protocol to develop a decellularised biological extracellular matrix scaffold for use in regenerative endodontic procedures. Methodology: Decellularised human dental pulps were assessed using histological and immunohistochemical methods, scanning...

Objective: Teeth are subjected to a range of forces that are important in maintaining periodontal ligament (PDL) homeostasis and remodelling of the periodontium. The mechanism by which these forces maintain structural integrity of the periodontium is not fully understood at the molecular level. The aim of this study was to investigate freshly isola...

Autozygosity mapping and clonal sequencing of an Omani family identified mutations in the uncharacterized gene, C4orf26, as a cause of recessive hypomineralized amelogenesis imperfecta (AI), a disease in which the formation of tooth enamel fails. Screening of a panel of 57 autosomal-recessive AI-affected families identified eight further families w...

The following in vitro translational study investigated whether enamel matrix derivative (EMD), an approved biomimetic treatment for periodontal disease (Emdogain) and hard-to-heal wounds (Xelma), enhanced synovial cell colonization and protein synthesis around a scaffold used clinically for in situ tissue engineering of the torn anterior cruciate...

Objectives: To examine the changes in early global gene expression in a population of human periodontal ligament (HPDL) cells exposed to cyclic tensile strain in a novel three dimensional culture system using microarray and quantitative RT-PCR. Methods: Primary cultures of HPDL cells were established from the root surface of extracted, healthy, hum...

Synovial cells are reported to colonize synthetic ligament scaffolds following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction but the process leading to ligamentization is poorly understood. The present study investigated the effect of cyclic tensile strain on the expression of genes involved in matrix remodelling in bovine synovial cells seeded o...

Polyester scaffolds have been used as an alternative to autogenous tissues for the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). They are biocompatible and encourage tissue infiltration, leading to neoligament formation. However, rupture can occur, caused by abrasion of the scaffold against the bone tunnels through which it is implanted....

Cyclic tensile strains acting along a ligament implant are known to stimulate cells that colonize it to proliferate and to synthesize an extracellular matrix (ECM), which will then remodel and form a new ligament structure. However, this process of tissue induction is poorly understood. As a first step toward elucidating this process, we aimed to i...

Cyclic tensile strain is pivotal to the remodeling of tissue induced in implants used in reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligaments whether these implants were of autogenous tissues or synthetic materials. However, this process is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the short and medium-term effect of cyclic tensile...

The aim of this work is the characterization of interfaces in calcified tissues. In order to separate the non-collagenous bone proteins, according to their interaction with collagen or hydroxyapatite crystals, 10 sequential bone demineralizations using EDTA alone were carried out, followed by four sequential extractions using both EDTA and GuHCI. T...

Objectives: To analyse the changes in gene expression in human periodontal ligament (HPDL) cells exposed to cyclic tensile strain in a three dimensional culture system. Methods: Primary cultures of HPDL cells were established from the root surface of extracted, healthy, human teeth. The population of cells was characterised using immuno-fluoresce...