Research on the mesenchymal stem cells in the maxillo-facial region and bone tissue regeneration

摘要

Bone loss in the maxillo-facial region is a major health care concern. Maintaining the integrity of the bone structure around the teeth or dental implants is crucial for preserving oral function. Alveolar cleft repairs and maxillary defect reconstruction after tumor surgeries are also challenging requirements, as they need to be designed to meet specific needs and demands for optimizing functional and cosmetic outcomes. Autologous bone grafts have long been considered the first choice for the repair of bone defects. This is a standard treatment widely used for maxillo-facial skeletal defects and deformities. However, the volume of the bone graft harvest is restricted because of additional surgery and donor site functional impairment. Bone tissues of allogeneic, xenogeneic, or synthetic substitutes occasionally have limitations of insufficient bone graft volume as well as risks of immune rejection or contagious diseases. Recently, bone tissue regeneration has been progressively achieved by the application of tissue engineering, in which cells and growth factors are combined with biocompatible scaffolds, providing a promising approach for improved clinical application. Therefore, selection of highly osteogenic cells is very important to achieve effective treatment.