Bone Tissue Engineering: a Mini-Review

Despite advances in bone tissue engineering, auto grafts from intra-oral or extra-oral donor sites are still the gold standard for treatment of large craniomaxillofacial defects. Biomaterial development, application of growth factor, and stem cells, open new gateway to bone regeneration studies, but real translation from bench to bedside have not yet happened. In this review article, a number of main approaches that researchers apply to enhance success rate in bone regeneration are described. One of the promising cell source candidates are induced pluripotent stem cells which are a type of stem cells produced by converting differentiated somatic adult cells or non- pluripotent adult stem cells into pluripotent stem cells. Regarding smart scaffolds, addition of bioactive molecules or nanoparticles that can enhance attachment and proliferation of stem cells on the scaffold have been investigated. Moreover, local delivery systems as a device to carry and discharge therapeutic agents including drugs, growth factors such as osteogenic or angiogenic factors and cells into a specific site for a desired period of time, have been introduced. Also, dynamic cell culture methods (namely bioreactors) are used to partially mimic the body’s physiological and mechanical characteristics. Another novel approach termed as Antibody-Mediated Osseous Regeneration (AMOR), is the local or systemic delivery of therapeutic molecules which either activate or inhibit the endogenous factors especially Bone Morphogenetic Proteins  (BMP) signaling. In conclusion, gradual physiologic release of growth factors with the cultured Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the composite scaffold, dynamic cell culture methods and enhancement of recipient bed, all turn on the light on this future prespective.