Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s, the pediatric hospital at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, are studying how stem cells may improve mouth grafting, which is needed to repair damaged oral tissue, according to a news release from the center.
The researchers hope to grow oral tissue using reprogrammed stem cells, creating living grafts with blood vessels that closely mimic natural tissue, according to the release dated October 9.
“We plan to turn stem cells into personalized oral tissue grafts that we hope will improve outcomes for patients,” Dr. Ophir Klein, PhD, executive director of Guerin Children’s and executive vice dean of Children’s Health at Cedars-Sinai, said in the release.
About 1 in 4 oral tissue grafts fail due to factors such as poor blood supply, infection, or inadequate healing. With funding from a five-year, $5.7 million U.S. National Institutes of Health grant, the researchers hope to address these challenges, according to the release.
Their study seeks to better understand the oral mucosa and find ways to improve tissue healing in the mouth. The oral mucosa lines the cheeks, gums, and tongue, protecting against infection and injury while supporting essential functions like chewing, swallowing, and speaking.
For their preclinical research, the team will grow oral tissue in the lab using induced pluripotent stem cells from mice. These reprogrammed cells can develop into almost any cell type, allowing researchers to create living grafts with built-in blood vessels. The goal is to produce personalized grafts that closely mimic natural oral tissue, according to the release.
In the future, patients with oral injuries, surgical damage, or receding gums could benefit from this new treatment option.
“This research has the power to notably improve care quality and establish new dental health standards,” Dr. Kevin Matthew Byrd, PhD, assistant professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, said.
