3D Bio-printed Scaffold-free Nerve Constructs with Human Gingiva-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Rat Facial Nerve Regeneration

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Departmental Papers (Dental)
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Animals
Cell Culture Techniques
Cell Differentiation
Collagen
Facial Nerve
Gingiva
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Nerve Regeneration
Printing
Three-Dimensional
Rats
Tissue Scaffolds
collagen
animal
cell culture technique
cell differentiation
chemistry
cytology
facial nerve
gingiva
human
immunohistochemistry
mesenchymal stem cell
metabolism
nerve regeneration
rat
three dimensional printing
tissue scaffold
Dentistry
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
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Zhang, Qunzhou
Nguyen, Phuong D
Shi, Shihong
Burrell, Justin C
Cullen, Kacy D
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Abstract

Despite the promising neuro-regenerative capacities of stem cells, there is currently no licensed stem cell-based product in the repair and regeneration of peripheral nerve injuries. Here, we explored the potential use of human gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) as the only cellular component in 3D bio-printed scaffold-free neural constructs that were transplantable to bridge facial nerve defects in rats. We showed that GMSCs have the propensity to aggregate into compact 3D-spheroids that could produce their own matrix. When cultured under either 2D- or 3D-collagen scaffolds, GMSC spheroids were found to be more capable of differentiating into both neuronal and Schwann-like cells than their adherent counterparts. Using a scaffold-free 3D bio-printer system, nerve constructs were printed from GMSC spheroids in the absence of exogenous scaffolds and allowed to mature in a bioreactor. In vivo transplantation of the GMSC-laden nerve constructs promoted regeneration and functional recovery when used to bridge segmental defects in rat facial nerves. Our findings suggest that GMSCs represent an easily accessible source of MSCs for 3D bio-printing of scaffold-free nervous tissue constructs with promising potential application for repair and regeneration of peripheral nerve defects. © 2018 The Author(s).

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2018-12-01
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Scientific Reports
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