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RCCC CranioMaxilloFacial Reconstruction Bone Projects
| Clinical Challenges |
Project |
Proposed Therapies |
| Injury of the bone in the calvaria and upper face |
Facial regeneration - calvaria and upper face |
Implantable, injectable, and moldable craniofacial bone scaffolds
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| Injury of the bone in the mid and lower face |
Facial regeneration - mid face (maxillary complex) and lower face (mandibular complex) |
Implantable, injectable, and moldable craniofacial bone scaffolds |
| Tissue engineered bone constructs hampered by poor vascularization and a limited number of suitable cell types that can be used to generate bone cells |
Facial regeneration - vascular tissue engineering |
Bioactive scaffolds for vascular tissue engineering |
Facial Regeneration - Calvaria and Upper Face
Devastating facial injuries require many approaches to restore bone and soft tissues. In this project, investigators are designing and developing physiological, biocompatible, and biodegradable implants for reconstruction of large bone defects in the cranio-orbital, or upper bone region of the face.
Through this project, RCCC researchers will fabricate a porous, injectable and implantable system that will promote regeneration of bones in the upper face after injuries to the head and face. The system will be made of biocompatible composites that deliver complementary antibiotics, and agents that promote growth of blood supply and bone either alone or in combination. We anticipate initial pre-clinical trials with the best performers of these materials to commence within 48 months of project initiation.
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Composite Implant in Upper Face Region for Reconstruction in Bone Defects
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Carnegie Mellon University, Bone Tissue Engineering Center, Biomedical Engineering Department, Jeffrey Hollinger, DDS, PhD
Vanderbilt University, Department of Chemical Engineering, Scott Guelcher, PhD
New Jersey Center for Biomaterials, Rutgers, Joachim Kohn, PhD
Mayo Clinic, Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Michael Yaszemski, MD, PhD
Osteotech, Inc., Eatontown, NJ
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Facial Regeneration - Mid Face (Maxillary Complex) and Lower Face (Mandibular Complex)
In the mid and lower face, unlike the upper face, the bone must bear weight. This adds mechanical requirements for selection of the structural material and fabrication of its shape. In this project, RCCC researchers are designing composite weight-bearing injectables and implants that promote enhanced regeneration of bone for mid-face and lower-face defects. The system will be made of biocompatible composites that deliver suitable and complementary antibiotics and factors that promote blood supply and bone growth either alone or in combination. These composites will also be mechanically competent, able to regenerate bone, and promote the formation of blood vessels. We anticipate initial pre-clinical animal trials with the best performers of these materials to commence within 48 months of project initiation for mid-face and 54 months for lower face and mandible.
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Injectable bone regenerative therapeutic compositions will regenerate new bone.
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Carnegie Mellon University, Bone Tissue Engineering Center, Biomedical Engineering Department, Jeffrey Hollinger, DDS, PhD
Vanderbilt University, Department of Chemical Engineering, Scott Guelcher, PhD
New Jersey Center for Biomaterials, Rutgers, Joachim Kohn, PhD
Mayo Clinic, Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Michael Yaszemski, MD, PhD
Osteotech, Inc., Eatontown, NJ
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Vascular Tissue Engineering
RCCC researchers at MIT are developing a novel, biodegradable, and bioactive scaffold system that can differentiate progenitor cells to produce vascularized bone tissues. The aims of this project are to develop: (1) bioactive scaffolds for vascular tissues; and (2) vascularized bone tissue constructs with stem cells. Currently, the researchers have utilized microparticle-based scaffold systems that can either control the release of or immobilize growth factors (e.g., VEGF) to promote growth of a vascular network within the biodegradable scaffold system.
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