Bone Building

Bone Building

http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/ScienceBriefs/Archive/SNIB2010/March/Bone.htm

Scientists at Columbia University used a streamlined process to build a better bone graft of the temporomandibular joint condyle. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic and colleagues integrated existing tissue engineering concepts into a more efficient way to grow the TMJ condyles. They improved the mold or scaffolding used to grow the three-dimensional shape of the replacement tissue. They also designed an anatomaical bioreactor to culture a graft continuously perfused with growth medium and oxygen while the mesenchymal stem cells are growing and differentiating into the condyle tissue. The bioreactor also removes the waste products. Although the engineered graft does not replicate the entire joint anatomy, it is an important step in bioengineering and clinical translation. At some point, surgeons will have viable anatomically shaped bone grafts for treating craniofacial or orthopedic wounds. Their work was reported in the February 23 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.