19 May 2025

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Study explores phytochemical delivery system to boost bone regeneration

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An interdisciplinary group of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers were recently awarded a grant to study and develop a novel, phytochemical-based triple-agent biomaterial designed to enhance predictable bone regeneration in oral and craniofacial applications.

The research stems from the team’s approach to “whole person health,” and it will look at the combined effect of biology and behavior in patients to see how these factors affect overall health, disease development and treatments. It will look at diet and the effects of dietary supplement. 

Patricia Miguez, DDS, MS, PhD, an Adams School of Dentistry associate professor and researcher, said the research explores how a phytochemical present in citrus fruits can help with bone maintenance and bone regeneration surgeries in animal models. 

“This grant was built on the knowledge of the positive effects of the phytochemical as a dietary supplement. This study aims for the development of a local delivery system for this natural product in bone defects to boost regenerative capacity while minimizing inflammation in a restricted area such as a tooth extraction site, or sites of extreme bone loss,” Miguez said.

Miguez said research is still needed to fully explore the impact of dietary choices on whole person health, and the integration of natural compounds with current therapeutics and biologics may provide better surgical and treatment outcomes and could make treatments more effective for patients while decreasing the costs associated with treating bone loss.  

The research team combines expertise in several areas key to moving the study forward, including dentistry, chemistry, periodontology, bone physiology and biomaterials. 

“This proposal is unique because it brings together an expert team in a quest to develop a cost-effective tissue engineering approach, which are still largely ineffective and unpredictable today,” Miguez said.

Source: https://dentistry.unc.edu/