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Updated: May 22, 2026
Isolation and Cultivation of Mandibular Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Rats
Published on: August 25, 2020
Treatment of irradiated mandibles with mesenchymal stem cells transfected with bone morphogenetic protein 2/7
Wen Biao Zhang1, Li Wu Zheng, Daniel Tsin Tien Chua
1Discipline of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Purpose:
The study aimed to evaluate whether mesenchymal stem cells transfected with bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 2/7 could increase bone regeneration after radiotherapy using a rabbit model of mandibular distraction osteogenesis.
Materials And Methods:
Twelve rabbits were randomly assigned to the sham control, radiotherapy control, nontransfected mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and MSCs transfected with BMP-2/7 groups. All rabbits, except those in the sham control group, received preoperative radiation of 9 Gy for 5 fractions. One month after radiotherapy, all rabbits underwent unilateral mandibular distraction at a rate of 0.9 mm/d for 11 days. At the end of active distraction, MSCs combined with bovine collagen were injected into the distraction zone. After 4 weeks of consolidation, the mandibular samples were collected and subjected to radiographic, microcomputed tomographic, and histologic examinations.
Results:
By radiographic examination, animals injected with nontransfected MSCs or MSCs encoding BMP-2/7 exhibited more bone formation than the control groups. Histologic examination showed that the group with MSCs encoding BMP-2/7 had a more mature medullary cavity than the nontransfected MSCs group.
Conclusions:
MSCs encoding BMP-2/7 can increase bone healing in irradiated mandibular bone.
