Cell Attachment Properties of Portland Cement–based Endodontic Materials: Biological and Methodological Considerations

IntroductionThe attachment and spreading of mammalian cells on endodontic biomaterials are an area of active research. The purpose of this review is to discuss the cell attachment properties of Portland cement (PC)–based materials by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, methodological aspects and technical challenges are discussed.MethodsA PubMed electronic search was conducted by using appropriate key words to identify the available investigations on the cell attachment properties of PC-based endodontic materials. After retrieving the full text of related articles, the cross citations were also identified.ResultsA total of 23 articles published between January 1993 and October 2013 were identified. This review summarizes the cell attachment properties of commercial and experimental PC-based materials on different cell cultures by using SEM. Methodological procedures, technical challenges, and relevance of SEM in determining the biological profile of PC-based materials are discussed.ConclusionsSEM observations demonstrate that commercial MTA formulations show favorable cell attachment properties, which is consistent with their successful clinical outcomes. The favorable cell attachment properties of PC and its modified formulations support its potential use as a substitute for mineral trioxide aggregate. However, researchers should carefully select cell types for their SEM investigations that would be in contact with the proposed PC-based combinations in the clinical situation. Despite being a technical challenge, SEM provides useful information on the cell attachment properties of PC-based materials; however, other assays for cell proliferation and viability are essential to come up with an accurate in vitro biological profile of any given PC-based formulation.