Year 4

The long-term goal of this proposed study is to explore a new stem cell-based treatment for major defects in the orofacial regions. Bisphosphonate related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a recently described adverse side effect of bisphosphonate therapy, with an estimated 94% of cases reported in the oncologic patients receiving intravenous nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (BP). Due to the lack of a testable animal model and limited biological tissue specimens, to date, the patho-physiological mechanisms underlying BRONJ remain largely unknown. Previously we established BRONJ mouse model and found regulatory T cells can prevent BRONJ in mouse model. Recently, we have established BRONJ pre-clinical model in minipigs and confirmed that regulatory T cells and Th17 cells contribute to the occurrence of BRONJ. In order to further characterized cell-based therapy for
orofacial defects, we generated radiation-induced jaw bone necrosis model in minipigs and use mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) implantation to cure the necrosis, suggesting a potentiality of using cell-based therapy for jaw bone regeneration.
To further understanding mechanism by which MSCs are capable of regenerating orofacial bones, we showed that MSC-based bone regeneration inhibited by recipient T cells via IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. Local aspirin treatment can block T cell activity and, therefore, improve MSC-based orofacial bone regeneration. Moreover, we demonstrated that ERK signaling pathway controls orofacial MSC-mediated bone regeneration. ERK1 ⁄ 2 inhibitor treatment rescued bFGF-induced osteogenic differentiation deficiency.
Finally, we showed that vitamin C treatment improved capacity of orofacial MSC-mediated orofacial bone regeneration in minipigs through up-regulation of telomerase activity.