Building of Bio-complexes in Maxillofacial Tissue Engineering

Background: Stem cell strategies and autologous bone grafting remain a gold standard for the reconstruction of bone defects in the maxillofacial region. In fact, maxillofacial tissue engineering aim to reconstruct and regenerate bone that simultaneously fulfills both morphological and functional restorations. For this purpose, scaffolds in combination with mesenchymal stem cells/osteoprogenitor cells and bioactive factors are necessary to recreate a 3D microenvironment that improve the quality of engineered tissues. Objective and Methods: The main purpose of this mini-review is to analyze all the characteristics for the production of an appropriate bone construct for maxillofacial tissue engineering, considering stem cells as a source and different biomaterials used to support structures enhancing adhesion, proliferation and matrix production of seeded cells according to the circumstances of the bone defects. Results and Conclusion: In maxillofacial tissue engineering, dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) and bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) represent the most common source of stem cells used for the building of 3D structures, thanks to their ability to self-renew and their potential for multilineage differentiation. In addition, the identification of the most suitable scaffold that allow soft-tissue regeneration and bone repair is strongly recommended for autologous micro-grafts. Fabrication of this 3D-culture will provide a powerful tool for regenerative medicine and it will make possible the generation of a biocomplex suitable for the reconstruction of delicate maxillofacial bone defects.