Analysis for the development of tissue engineering constructs for the treatment of large mandible defects

• Applicant: Dr. Nina Ardjomandi
• Subject Area: Dentistry, Oral Surgery ; Cell Biology
• Term: from 2013 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 241316580

The golden standard in jaw reconstruction is still the transplantation of autologous bone into the bone defect, which comes along with a loss of tissue of the affected patient. For quite some time, a less invasive alternative has been searched. The implantation of tissue engineering constructs where a carrier material is seeded with stem cells from the patient might be such an alternative. In this study, an innovative approach with a promising combination of a resorbable ß-tricalcium-phosphate carrier matrix with RGD peptides (binding domain of extracellular matrix proteins) will be undertaken to induce and support the bone regeneration. RGD peptides are known from our own preliminary work and among others that they promote cell adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation and by that enhance the bone healing process. In addition to that, an attempt should be made to perforate the material to create interconnective channels to improve the neovascularization, that is also essential for a successful healing of the implant. After the successful development of the biofunctionalized constructs, their applicability will be tested in vitro.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Institution: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; Interfakultäres Institut für Biochemie; Universitätsklinikum Tübingen; Klinik für Urologie; Universitätsklinikum Tübingen; Medizinische Universitätsklinik; Labor für Stammzellforschung; NMI Naturwissenschaftliches und Medizinisches Institut an der Universität Tübingen; Universitätsklinikum Tübingen; Zentrum für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde; Poliklinik für Zahnärztliche Prothetik und Propädeutik; Universitätsklinikum Tübingen; Deutsches Herzkompetenz Zentrum; Universitätsklinik für Thorax-, Herz- und Gefäßchirurgie