Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and periosteum-derived cells (PDCs) represent promising skeletal stem cell sources to treat critical-size bone defects. However, the large number of preclinical tests with a variety of in vivo data complicates the selection of cells for further clinical translation. This systematic review aims to analyze the in vivo bone-forming efficacy of BMSCs- and PDCs-based approaches in all published preclinical experiments until November 2020. For this purpose, four databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial, and Web of Science) were searched for eligible literature, which yielded a total of 94 full-text articles for systematic review. This review generated an evidence-based list of BMSC- or PDC-based approaches, which have been evaluated for bone formation in different animal models. Among them, 74 studies were included for pairwise and network meta-analysis. The results revealed that both PDC and BMSC had beneficial bone-forming efficacy compared to bare scaffold. In addition, BMSC- and PDC-based approaches had no significant difference regarding in vivo bone-forming efficacy. However, BMSC-based approach had a higher probability to be ranked better than PDC-based approach. Furthermore, the review discusses (i) the possible risk of bias of the in vivo evaluation of cell-based approaches, (ii) the difficulty in replication of such experiments due to frequent poor reporting of the methods and results, and (iii) the clinical relevance of the currently utilized BMSC- and PDC-based approaches. Systematic review registration: The study was prospectively registered in PROSPERO, Registration No. CRD42021270922.

Recapitulation of the natural healing process is receiving increasing recognition as a strategy to induce robust tissue regeneration. Endochondral ossification has been recognized as an essential reparative approach in natural jawbone defect healing. However, such an approach has been overlooked in the recent development of cell-based therapeutics for jawbone repair. Therefore, this study aimed to explore a bioinspired stem cell–based strategy for jawbone repair by mimicking the mesenchymal condensation of progenitor cells during the early endochondral ossification process. For this purpose, passage 3 of jawbone periosteum-derived cells (jb-PDCs) was cultured in our previously reported nonadherent microwells (200 µm in diameter, 148 µm in depth, and 100 µm space in between) and self-assembled into spheroids with a diameter of 96.4 ± 5.8 µm after 48 h. Compared to monolayer culture, the jb-PDC spheroids showed a significant reduction of stemness marker expression evidenced by flow cytometry. Furthermore, a significant upregulation of chondrogenic transcription factor SOX9 in both gene and protein levels was observed in the jb-PDC spheroids after 48 h of chondrogenic induction. RNA sequencing and Western blotting analysis further suggested that the enhanced SOX9-mediated chondrogenic differentiation in jb-PDC spheroids was attributed to the activation of the p38 MAPK pathway. Impressively, inhibition of p38 kinase activity significantly attenuated chondrogenic differentiation jb-PDC spheroids, evidenced by a significant decline of SOX9 in both gene and protein levels. Strikingly, the jb-PDC spheroids implanted in 6- to 8-wk-old male C57BL/6 mice with critical-size jawbone defects (1.8 mm in diameter) showed an evident contribution to cartilaginous callus formation after 1 wk, evidenced by histological analysis. Furthermore, micro–computed tomography analysis showed that the jb-PDC spheroids significantly accelerated bone healing after 2 wk in the absence of exogenous growth factors. In sum, the presented findings represent the successful development of cell-based therapeutics to reengineer the endochondral bone repair process and illustrate the potential application to improve bone repair and regeneration in the craniofacial skeleton.

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is a prevalent cause of recurrence in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, accurately identifying metastatic LNs (LNs+) remains challenging. This prospective clinical study aims to test the effectiveness of our convolutional neural network (CNN) model for identifying OSCC cervical LN+ in contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in clinical practice. A CNN model was developed and trained using a dataset of 8,380 CECT images from previous OSCC patients. It was then prospectively validated on 17,777 preoperative CECT images from 354 OSCC patients between October 17, 2023, and August 31, 2024. The model’s predicted LN results were provided to the surgical team without influencing surgical or treatment plans. During surgery, the predicted LN+ were identified and sent for separate pathological examination. The accuracy of the model’s predictions was compared with those of human experts and verified against pathology reports. The capacity of the model to assist radiologists in LN+ diagnosis was also assessed. The CNN model was trained over 40 epochs and successfully validated after each. Compared with human experts (2 radiologists, 2 surgeons, and 2 students), the CNN model achieved higher sensitivity (81.89% vs. 81.48%, 46.91%, 50.62%), specificity (99.31% vs. 99.15%, 98.36%, 96.27%), LN+ accuracy (76.19% vs. 75.43%, P = 0.854; 40.64%, P < 0.001; 37.44%, P < 0.001), and clinical accuracy (86.16% vs. 83%, 61%, 56%). With the model’s assistance, the radiologists surpassed both the previous predictive results without the model’s support and the model’s performance alone. The CNN model demonstrated an accuracy comparable to that of radiologists in identifying, locating, and predicting cervical LN+ in OSCC patients. Furthermore, the model has the potential to assist radiologists in making more accurate diagnoses.

Aim: To explore the expression profile and prognostic value of MCTS1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). Materials & methods: This study used the data from TCGA to HNSC database, GEO database and the data and specimens collected from the patients in our hospital to conduct a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of MCTS1 in HNSC. Results: MCTS1 was significantly upregulated. MCTS1 mRNA expression level is a potential prognostic biomarker for overall survival and recurrence-free survival. We revealed the potential interactions of MCTS1 with other molecules and potential relationship with ubiquitination, translation initiation and mRNA splicing in HNSC. Conclusion: MCTS1 was significantly upregulated in primary HNSC. The correlation of MCTS1 with poor prognosis suggested its potential as a prognostic marker for HNSC patients.

Tooth developmental anomalies are a group of disorders caused by unfavorable factors affecting the tooth development process, resulting in abnormalities in tooth number, structure, and morphology. These anomalies typically manifest during childhood, impairing dental function, maxillofacial development, and facial aesthetics, while also potentially impacting overall physical and mental health. The complex etiology and diverse clinical phenotypes of these anomalies pose significant challenges for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment. As they usually emerge early in life, long-term management and multidisciplinary collaboration in dental care are essential. However, there is currently a lack of systematic clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, adding to the difficulties in clinical practice. In response to this need, this expert consensus summarizes the classifications, etiology, typical clinical manifestations, and diagnostic criteria of tooth developmental anomalies based on current clinical evidence. It also provides prevention strategies and stage-specific clinical management recommendations to guide clinicians in diagnosis and treatment, promoting early intervention and standardized care for these anomalies.