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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Technique for Isolation and Culture of Rat Jaw Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Published on: May 31, 2024
Identification of human cranio-maxillofacial skeletal stem cells for mandibular development
Zhuo Wang1,2, Kun Wang3, Yejia Yu1
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and Engineering Research Center of Oral Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education and National Engineering Laboratory for Oral Regenerative Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
Compared with long bone that arises from the mesoderm, the major portion of the maxillofacial bones and the front bone of the skull are derived from cranial neural crest cells and undergo intramembranous ossification. Human skeletal stem cells have been identified in embryonic and fetal long bones. Here, we describe a single-cell atlas of the human embryonic mandible and identify a population of cranio-maxillofacial skeletal stem cells (CMSSCs). These CMSSCs are marked by interferon-induced transmembrane protein 5 (IFITM5) and are specifically located around the periosteum of the jawbone and frontal bone. Additionally, these CMSSCs exhibit strong self-renewal and osteogenic differentiation capacities but lower chondrogenic differentiation potency, mediating intramembranous bone formation without cartilage formation. IFITM5+ cells are also observed in the adult jawbone and exhibit functions similar to those of embryonic CMSSCs. Thus, this study identifies CMSSCs that orchestrate the intramembranous ossification of cranio-maxillofacial bones, providing a deeper understanding of cranio-maxillofacial skeletal development and promising seed cells for bone repair.
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