Mizzou Engineering researcher takes on tooth loss

June 16, 2025

A novel, bio-inspired treatment for periodontitis could help patients keep their natural teeth, avoiding painful and expensive implants.

Xiaohua Liu in his lab — *“Talking with dentists, I saw that translating research into practical, clinical solutions was both meaningful and urgently needed,” Xiaohua Liu said.*

At Mizzou Engineering, our researchers collaborate with colleagues across campus to create meaningful change. By seeking out better ways of doing things, they take on intractable challenges to improve lives across the world.

Take periodontitis. This severe gum disease starts as gingivitis, which can be reversed with good dental hygiene. Ignore it too long, however, and it will destroy your gums, ligaments and the bone supporting your teeth. Periodontitis affects 42% of adults in the United States.

“Periodontitis poses a significant public health burden,” Xiaohua Liu, professor in the Department Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and a biomedical science and engineering researcher at NextGen Precision Health. “In severe cases, patients don’t have enough bone left to receive implants, so the only option is to extract the tooth.”

Liu has long felt an urgent need to take his research on cell-material interaction, biomimetic materials for tissue regeneration, and controlled drug delivery into a practical, clinical solution for periodontitis.

So, when he received a $2.9 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health this spring, he was ready to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in periodontal therapy.

“This project could help patients regenerate functional periodontal tissues, offering an effective treatment for periodontitis” he said.

Qian Li and Yingzi Li at work in Liu's lab — *Post-doctoral student Qian Li (left) and PhD student Yingzi Li in Liu’s lab at NextGen Precision Health.*

Liu’s team is using stem cells to regenerate the bond between tooth and bone. Stem cells can self-renew and become other specialized cell types, so they are crucial in the regeneration of damaged tissues.

The researchers have developed a bio-inspired, three-layer material called “periopatch.” The periopatch is made of nanofibrous material that mimics natural periodontal tissue. Different layers of the porous material provide critical signals to guide stem cells to become periodontal ligament and bone, separately.

“Basically, we create a unique sandwich-like structure that stimulates the regeneration of the periodontal ligament in the middle layer, anchoring one side to the bone and the other to the tooth,” Liu said. “The goal is to form a functional, organized structure that can reconnect these periodontal tissues to support teeth.’

Liu’s research — a combination of biology, engineering, materials science and clinical practice—has been a collaboration between Mizzou Engineering and NextGen Precision Health, where surgeons, biologists and engineers work together on clinical challenges.

“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “I’ve found a lot of opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. That’s what makes it exciting. Collaboration is essential.”

Discover more ways Mizzou Engineering is creating meaningful change.