Wnt Pathway in Bone Repair and Regeneration - What Do We Know So Far.

Wnt signaling plays a central regulatory role across a remarkably diverse range of functions during embryonic development, including those involved in the formation of bone and cartilage. Wnt signaling continues to play a critical role in adult osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Disruptions in this highly-conserved and complex system leads to various pathological conditions, including impaired bone healing, autoimmune diseases and malignant degeneration.

A WNT protein therapeutic improves the bone-forming capacity of autografts from aged animals.

Autografts tend to be unreliable in older patients. Some of these age-related skeletal changes appear to be attributable to a decline in endogenous WNT signaling. We used a functional in vivo transplantation assay to demonstrate that the bone-forming capacity of an autograft can be traced back to a Wnt-responsive cell population associated with the mineralized bone matrix fraction of a bone graft.

Rescuing failed oral implants via Wnt activation.

Aim: Implant osseointegration is not always guaranteed and once fibrous encapsulation occurs clinicians have few options other than implant removal. Our goal was to test whether a WNT protein therapeutic could rescue such failed implants.

Material And Methods: Titanium implants were placed in over-sized murine oral osteotomies.

Wnt Acts as a Prosurvival Signal to Enhance Dentin Regeneration.

Wnt proteins are lipid-modified, short-range signals that control stem cell self-renewal and tissue regeneration. We identified a population of Wnt responsive cells in the pulp cavity, characterized their function, and then created a pulp injury. The repair response was evaluated over time using molecular, cellular, and quantitative assays.

The potential for vertical bone regeneration via maxillary periosteal elevation.

Background: While many studies have been performed on the characteristics and regenerative capacity of long bone periosteum, the craniofacial periosteum remains poorly understood.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for a maxillary periosteum tunnelling procedure to induce vertical alveolar bone regeneration.

Materials And Methods: We employed a murine injury model that activates skeletal stem cells in the periosteum without overtly damaging the underlying cortical bone, preserving the integrity of the long bone and maxilla, and avoiding the introduction of pathological motion at the injury site.

Improving oral implant osseointegration in a murine model via Wnt signal amplification.

Aim: To determine the key biological events occurring during implant failure and then we use this knowledge to develop new biology-based strategies that improve osseointegration.

Materials And Methods: Wild-type and Axin2(LacZ/LacZ) adult male mice underwent oral implant placement, with and without primary stability. Peri-implant tissues were evaluated using histology, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity and TUNEL staining.