Treatments available to repair damage to the skull as a result of trauma, surgery, or congenital anomalies are limited and sometimes involve risks. A study recently published in PNAS (1) offers an alternative approach inspired by how babies regenerate bone tissue. The researchers expanded on previous studies (2,3) showing that open sutures—the fibrous connective tissue holding bones together—in the skulls of newborn mice and humans are reservoirs of skeletal stem cells. The temporary mechanically-induced expansion of closed sutures in young adult mice resulted in the proliferation of skeletal stem cells and facilitated bone regeneration following an injury.
Compared to what we know about other joints and limbs, “we know a lot less on the craniofacial system in terms of mechanobiology,” said University College London biomedical engineer Mehran Moazen, who did not participate in this study but has previously collaborated with one of the authors. Moazen noted that a major contribution ...
