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Formation of a mandibular condyle in vitro by tissue engineering
Harutsugi Abukawa1, Hidetomi Terai, Didier Hannouche
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Summary
Tissue engineering offers a solution to donor site morbidity in mandibular reconstruction. This study successfully created bone constructs using biodegradable polymers and porcine mesenchymal stem cells (pMSCs), paving the way for future clinical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Orthopedic Surgery
Background:
- Mandibular reconstruction often involves significant donor site morbidity.
- Minimally invasive techniques reduce operative site morbidity but not donor site issues.
- Tissue engineering presents a potential method to eliminate donor site morbidity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of tissue-engineering techniques to fabricate bone constructs for mandibular reconstruction.
- To eliminate donor site morbidity associated with traditional bone grafting methods.
Main Methods:
- Porcine mesenchymal stem cells (pMSCs) were isolated and cultured with osteogenic supplements.
- Biodegradable poly DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) scaffolds were fabricated using a mandibular condyle model.
- Constructs of differentiated osteoblasts on PLGA scaffolds were cultured in a bioreactor for 6 weeks.
Main Results:
- Engineered constructs closely resembled the mandibular condyle model in shape and were hard.
- Radiodensity of the constructs was intermediate between normal condyle and control scaffolds.
- Histological examination revealed bone formation on the entire surface of PLGA scaffolds (0.03 mm average thickness), with no bone in control scaffolds.
Conclusions:
- Autologous tissue-engineered bone constructs were successfully fabricated.
- The combination of biodegradable polymers and pMSCs shows promise for mandibular reconstruction.
- This pilot study demonstrates a potential method to overcome donor site morbidity.