Which substances loaded onto collagen scaffolds influence oral tissue regeneration?—an overview of the last 15 years

Background Collagen scaffolds are widely used for guided bone or tissue regeneration. Aiming to enhance their regenerative properties, studies have loaded various substances onto these scaffolds. This review aims to provide an overview of existing literature which conducted in vitro, in vivo, and clinical testing of drug-loaded collagen scaffolds and analyze their outcome of promoting oral regeneration. Materials and methods PubMed, Scopus, and Ovid Medline® were systematically searched for publications from 2005 to 2019. Journal articles assessing the effect of substances on oral hard or soft tissue regeneration, while using collagen carriers, were screened and qualitatively analyzed. Studies were grouped according to their used substance type—biological medical products, pharmaceuticals, and tissue-, cell-, and matrix-derived products. Results A total of 77 publications, applying 36 different substances, were included. Collagen scaffolds were demonstrating favorable adsorption behavior and release kinetics which could even be modified. BMP-2 was investigated most frequently, showing positive effects on oral tissue regeneration. BMP-9 showed comparable results at lower concentrations. Also, FGF2 enhanced bone and periodontal healing. Antibiotics improved the scaffold’s anti-microbial activity and reduced the penetrability for bacteria. Conclusion Growth factors showed promising results for oral tissue regeneration, while other substances were investigated less frequently. Found effects of investigated substances as well as adsorption and release properties of collagen scaffolds should be considered for further investigation. Clinical relevance: Collagen scaffolds are reliable carriers for any of the applied substances. BMP-2, BMP-9, and FGF2 showed enhanced bone and periodontal healing. Antibiotics improved anti-microbial properties of the scaffolds.