Publications by authors named "Pitaru S"

Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers implanted these constructs into rat skull defects and compared their effectiveness with other control groups, finding that the hOMSC constructs led to 86% new bone formation after 120 days, significantly outperforming the other methods.
  • * Results showed that the hOMSC-derived cells successfully transformed into functional bone cells, suggesting that these engineered constructs have great potential for treating bone injuries due to their high integration and immunomodulatory properties.
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Background: Anastomotic leak is regarded as one of the most feared complications of bowel surgery; avoiding leaks is a major priority. Attempts to reduce or eliminate leaks have included alternate anastomotic techniques. Human oral mucosa stem cells (hOMSC) are self-renewing and expandable cells derived from buccal mucosa.

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Diabetic wounds' delayed healing response is still considered a major therapeutic challenge. Stem cells and derived cellular products have been an active field of research for novel therapies referred to as regenerative medicine. It has recently been shown that human oral mucosa stem cells (hOMSCs) are a readily accessible source for obtaining large quantities of stem cells.

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Spinal cord injury (SCI), involving damaged axons and glial scar tissue, often culminates in irreversible impairments. Achieving substantial recovery following complete spinal cord transection remains an unmet challenge. Here, we report of implantation of an engineered 3D construct embedded with human oral mucosa stem cells (hOMSC) induced to secrete neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, and axonal elongation-associated factors, in a complete spinal cord transection rat model.

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Achieving safe and readily accessible sources for cell replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease (PD) is still a challenging unresolved issue. Recently, a primitive neural crest stem cell population (hOMSC) was isolated from the adult human oral mucosa and characterized in vitro and in vivo. In this study we assessed hOMSC ability to differentiate into dopamine-secreting cells with a neuronal-dopaminergic phenotype in vitro in response to dopaminergic developmental cues and tested their therapeutic potential in the hemi-Parkinsonian rat model.

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Human oral mucosa stem cells (hOMSC) are a recently described neural crest-derived stem cell population. Therapeutic quantities of potent hOMSC can be generated from small biopsies obtained by minimally invasive procedures. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of hOMSC to differentiate into astrocyte-like cells and provide peripheral neuroprotection.

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Aims: To characterize the mineralized tissue formed constitutively in the supracalvarial region of scid mice by a primitive stem cell population (hOMSC) derived from the lamina propria of the human oral mucosa and gingiva.

Material And Methods: Fibrin-hOMSC constructs were cultured for 14 days at which time point they were analysed for the expression of osteoblastic/cementoblastic markers and implanted between the skin and calvaria bones into scid mice. After 8 weeks, the animals were sacrificed and the implantation sites analysed.

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Background: Guided bone regeneration is considered an effective tool for gaining mineralized tissue either at exposed implant surface or in deficient alveolar ridge areas before implant placement.

Material And Methods: Customized casts obtained following impression taking at surgery and re-entry allowed for morphometric assessment of alveolar ridge alterations 6 months after one-stage augmentation of bone dehiscences. In a randomized pilot study using biphasic calcium phosphate tests (n=17) received treatment with ribose cross-linked collagen membranes (RCLM), whereas controls (n=20) received non-cross-linked membranes.

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The highly regenerative capacity of the human adult oral mucosa suggests the existence of a robust stem cell (SC) population in its lamina propria (OMLP). The purpose of this study was to characterize the availability, growth, immunophenotype, and potency of this presumable SC population. Cells positive for the embryonic stem cell transcription factors Oct4 and Sox2 and for p75 formed distinct cord-like structure in the OMLP.

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Background: Degradation and loss of the three-dimensional shape are the major causes of limited functional longevity of dermal fillers made of natural polymers as collagen and hyaluronic acid.

Objective: This study assessed the functional longevity of a new ribose-cross-linked collagen filler during 24 months in an animal model.

Methods: Ribose-cross-linked collagen (Evolence, Colbar Life Sciences Ltd), glutaraldehyde-cross-linked collagen (Zyplast, Inamed Inc.

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Background: The ideal dermal filler should be nonpermanent but with a durable effect lasting between 1 and 2 years, which is not the case with the resorbable fillers that are currently available. Evolence30 is a new, porcine-derived collagen gel based on the Glymatrix cross-linking technology, which results in a more natural and longer-lasting collagen product.

Methods: In this first clinical trial of Evolence30 (30 mg/ml), the safety and efficacy of this new filler were tested and compared with those of Zyplast (bovine cross-linked) collagen, after treatment of nasolabial folds in 12 volunteers.

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Aim: Evaluate enamel matrix proteins derivative effect on gene expression profiles in cultured human periodontal ligament cell population and its clones.

Material And Methods: Human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells were explanted. Cell cloning was performed and clones classified into fibroblastic (FB) and mineralized tissue forming (MTF) according to their capacity to express alkaline phosphatase and form mineralized tissue.

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Background: Characterization of periodontal ligament (PDL) fibroblast proteome is an important tool for understanding PDL physiology and regulation and for identifying disease-related protein markers. PDL fibroblast protein expression has been studied using immunological methods, although limited to previously identified proteins for which specific antibodies are available.

Methods: We applied proteomic analysis coupled with mass spectrometry and database knowledge to human PDL fibroblasts.

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Objective: Premature exposure of membranes used in guided bone regeneration (GBR) results in decreased bone formation. The effect of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) and two collagen membrane on bone healing of buccal dehiscence defects around implants in cases with and without premature membrane exposure was clinically evaluated.

Methods: Three groups were established: Group OS (Ossix, n=73 implants, 41 patients), Group BG (Bio-Gide, n=53 implants, 28 patients) and Group GT (e-PTFE, Gore-Tex, n=34 implants, 17 patients).

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Background: The aim of orthodontic treatment is to relocate teeth abnormally positioned in the jaws. This is achieved by application of continuous force on the tooth, which is immediately being sensed by the periodontal ligament (PDL), bone and the gingiva. Since the bony response is mediated by the PDL, tooth movement is primarily a PDL phenomenon.

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The effect of human anti-cementoblastoma-derived protein antibody during cementogenesis in vitro was investigated by using human cementoblastoma-derived cells. Cultures treated with 5 microg/ml of CP antibody from day 1 to day 15 revealed a significant decrease in alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) 40% (p < 0.005), 44% (p < 0.

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Rat stromal bone-marrow cells cultured in the presence of dexamethasone, ascorbic acid, beta-glycerophosphate, and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) express the osteogenic phenotype (Pitaru et al., J. Bone Miner.

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Successful bone augmentation requires predictable space maintenance and adequate exclusion of those cells that lack osteogenetic potential from the defect area. Natural bone mineral is considered to be osteoconductive and is used as space maker in combination with membrane barrier techniques. The aim of this study was to compare qualitative histological results achieved by using deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) as a space maintainer and a new collagen barrier (Ossix, test group) vs.

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Cementum is continuously formed during the lifetime of a tooth. The paravascular zones in the adult periodontal ligament (PL) comprise the progenitors for the fibroblastic (Fb) lineage and mineralized tissue-forming (MTF) cell lineages--the osteoblastic (Ob) and cementoblastic (Cb) lineages. Recent studies indicate that cementum attachment protein (CAP) is related to the differentiation of the Cb lineage and is instrumental in differentiating between the three periodontal cell lineages.

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Little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate the cementogenesis process, because specific cementum markers are not yet available. To investigate whether a cementoblastoma-conditioned medium-derived protein (CP) could be useful as a cementum biological marker, we studied its expression and distribution in human periodontal tissues, human periodontal ligament, alveolar bone, and cementoblastoma-derived cells. In human periodontal tissues, immunoreactivity to anti-CP was observed throughout the cementoid phase of acellular and cellular cementum, cementoblasts, cementocytes, cells located in the endosteal spaces of human alveolar bone, and in cells in the periodontal ligament located near the blood vessels.

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Wound healing in the oral cavity occurs in a bacteria-rich environment, which may affect its outcome. Furthermore, it takes place where forces are frequently applied to the healing tissue. The effect of bacterial endotoxin on the development of tensile strength in healing wounds was studied using surgical skin wounds in rats as a model.

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Background: Space-maintaining capacity, cell disclusive potential, and stability over time are crucial factors to achieving sufficient bone augmentation with membrane barriers. The case series presented here assessed a new collagen barrier used in bone augmentation. Clinically, the healing pattern, especially in cases of secondary healing, was studied.

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Colchicine is often used in the treatment of diseases such as familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and gout. We have previously reported that patients with FMF who had colchicine on a daily basis and who had a total hip arthroplasty showed no heterotopic ossification after surgery. The mechanism by which colchicine causes this clinical phenomenon has never been elucidated.

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Growth factors are known to play a major role in the regeneration of the periodontium. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a polypeptide growth factor considered to have a role in chemotaxis and mitogenesis of periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of bFGF on the transcription level of tropoelastin.

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