The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine has created a new program that will focus on research to help prevent birth defects of the mouth and face, as well as grow new bones and cartilage to repair facial injuries, according to an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Mark Mooney, PhD, chairman of the new graduate program in oral biology, plans to build on the university's strengths in cleft palate research and craniofacial tissue engineering. The new students are likely to tackle a host of challenges, including unraveling the genetic underpinnings of cleft palates, according to Mooney.
Other long-term goals include creating an artificial platform that could be used in the body to grow cells to replace damaged cartilage or bone in the face.
The oral biology program will begin accepting applications this fall, Mooney noted.
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