Group of stem cells that can generate new bone found within the bone itself
The bone marrow and outer surface of bone have always been thought to house reserve cells that will generate new bone or participate in bone repair when required. Now, research led by the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, US, has found a population of stem cells that can generate new bone residing along the vascular channels of within the bone.
The network of vascular channels stretch across the bone and connects the inner and outer parts of the bone. It helps distribute blood cells out of the bone marrow, but no research has proved the existence of cells within these channels that have the ability to form new bones.
In this study, Dr. Ivo Kalajzic, a professor of reconstructive sciences, and his team were the first to report the existence of perivascular or progenitor cells within cortical bone that can generate new bone-forming cells. The researchers observed the stem cells in an ex-vivo bone transplantation model – these cells migrated out of the transplant and began to quickly reconstruct the bone marrow cavity to form new bone.
While this study confirms there is new a population of cells that can help with bone formation, more research needs to be done to determine the cells’ potential to regulate bone formation and resorption.
