A New Path to Facial Reconstruction
07/16/07
USC researcher Songtao Shi and his colleagues experiment with stem
cells that can regenerate bone and skin tissue.
By Ben Creighton
Photo/Ben CreightonIf Songtao Shi's latest discovery ever reaches
Southern California clinics, "Oh, she's had a stem cell job," may one
day replace the ubiquitous "She's had work done" as a tabloid
euphemism for the efforts of the well-heeled to turn back the clock.
Shi, a researcher at USC's Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology,
and colleagues at dental schools in Korea and China have discovered
that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of regenerating facial
bone and skin tissue in mouse and swine models.
While there remains much to learn, their work published in the April
2007 issue of the journal Stem Cells points to a future in which MSCs
become a plastic surgeon's weapon of choice for everything from
repairing severe facial disfigurement to removing wrinkles.
"It's very exciting," Shi said. "It is fundamentally different from
current techniques. At this point it is just a concept, but in the
future it may change the way we do plastic surgery."
The research employs MSCs derived from two sources. To construct
orofacial bone tissue, Shi and colleagues utilized MSCs extracted
from human bone marrow and transplanted them into the frontal skull.
After eight weeks, a pronounced expansion of the skull was readily
visible. Tests of this new tissue showed it was healthy and fully
integrated into existing bone.
Even more remarkably, the new bone tissue showed evidence of
homeostasis – the process by which red and white blood cells are
created.
"This is very important. This is not an implant. This is an extension
of the body. These cells have the ability to work with and organize
existing cells and tissue," Shi said.
Their second technique relied on MSCs derived from the periodontal
ligament. Introducing these stem cells into the facial wrinkles of a
mouse model, Shi and colleagues found that the periodontal ligament
MSCs eliminated the wrinkles through the production of new collagen
fibers.
Shi hopes to improve his initial results by experimenting with
delivery methods – the stem cells have varying degrees of success
based upon the material used to serve as a scaffold. He also hopes to
investigate the potential of autologous stem cells, those derived
from the animal's own tissue, to improve clinical results.
"There are many potential applications for these techniques," Shi
said. "There is still so much that we don't understand fully. It is
clear that we need more studies to explore new therapies and improve
clinical consequences.
http://www.usc.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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