11h50 Keynote "Regenerative power of engineered hypertrophic cartilage tissues to induce bone formation following in vivo implantation""

In the field of bone regeneration, a promising approach is to engineer cartilage tissues in the lab that can induce bone formation following in vivo implantation. These cartilaginous tissues are typically generated by using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Such engineered cartilage mimics the soft callus tissue in the endochondral repair mechanism. Following implantation, the callus mimetics orchestrate the attraction of degrading osteoclasts, blood vessel invasion and new bone formation by osteoblasts. In our lab, we designed an allogeneic and off-the-shelf therapy for clinical translation and provided proof of concept in small and large preclinical models.

Besides cell-based regenerative strategies, osteoinductive biomaterials such as specific calcium phosphates can lead to in vivo bone formation. In our center, a clinical trial is ongoing to study the use of these materials in cleft palate closure.

Overall, this presentation will showcase the regenerative power of engineered hypertrophic cartilage tissues and smart biomaterials.