Co-culture of progenitor cells for maxillofacial bone tissue engineerin

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, with approximately 275,000 new cases each year. In some countries, mortality rates reach as high as 70%. For patients that survive, treatment often robs them of proper functionality. Commonly, treatment of oral cancer results in a defect within the bone tissue of the patient's oral cavity. Patients experience difficulty breathing, eating, and speaking as well as significant emotional distress due to physical deformation and loss of functionality. To correct some of these issues, closure of the defect must occur. Clinically, this is done with synthetic obturators or autologous free flap transfers. However, both techniques have significant limitations for quality of life for patients.;Ideally, future methodologies would provide ability to restore functionality rapidly, while minimizing donor site morbidity. Tissue engineering displays excellent potential for maxillofacial tissue regeneration. Several cell sources have been evaluated for use in maxillofacial bone tissue engineering, such as periosteal derived progenitor cells (PDPCs) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), with variable success. Recently, the co-culture of both progenitor cells has suggested a synergistic interaction leading to enhanced bone tissue formation.;The focus of this research was to perform preliminary in vitro research, investigating the feasibility of a bone tissue engineered construct for maxillofacial reconstruction. The isolation and characterization of human periosteal cells (HPCs) was performed as a secondary progenitor cell source. These cells demonstrated specific cell markers shared with mesenchymal stem cells and the ability to be differentiated toward an osteogenic lineage. Once characterized, HPCs were co-cultured with BMSCs and osteogenic potential was evaluated. Co-cultures of varying ratios were evaluated for expression of common osteogenic markers. In order to evaluate a more native three-dimensional structure, three commercially available biomaterials were evaluated for any influence in osteogenic differentiation, including: collagen sponges, bone graft strips consisting of 80% beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) and 20% type I collagen (generously provided by DSM Medical), and chronOS granules made of beta-TCP (Synthes). Finally, the incorporation of growth factors was evaluated as a method of possibly expediting osteogenic differentiation.;The impact of this work was to broaden knowledge of co-culture systems, cell-material interaction, and the role of exogenous factors in tissue engineering. Overall, the research provided better understanding of cell-cell interaction, co-culture interaction with biomaterials, and exogenous growth factors incorporation to the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.