Advances in Tissue Engineering Approaches for Bone Repair and Regeneration

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Tissues and Organs".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 1280

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Oral Science and Translational Research, College of Dental Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
Interests: osteogenic differentiation; dental pulp; dental cells; drug delivery and tissue engineering; organoid; scaffold-free stem cells

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bone tissue engineering has emerged as a promising strategy for the repair and regeneration of critical-size bone defects caused by trauma, degenerative diseases, congenital abnormalities, and tumor resection. In parallel, cancer-related bone diseases—such as primary bone tumors and bone metastases—pose significant clinical challenges due to complex tumor–bone interactions, impaired healing, and high recurrence rates.

Recent advances in tissue engineering have expanded beyond conventional regenerative approaches to include cancer-related applications, such as engineered bone tumor models, biomimetic platforms for studying tumor microenvironments, and multifunctional scaffolds capable of promoting bone regeneration while delivering anti-cancer therapies. The integration of biomaterials, stem cells, growth factors, and advanced fabrication technologies (e.g., 3D printing and bioprinting) has opened new avenues for both bone repair and cancer research.

This Special Issue, “Advances in Tissue Engineering Approaches for Bone Repair and Regeneration,” aims to gather high-quality contributions addressing fundamental, translational, and clinical aspects of bone tissue engineering in both regenerative and oncological contexts.

We invite original research articles, reviews, and short communications focusing on, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Biomaterials and scaffolds for bone repair after tumor resection;
  • Tissue-engineered models of bone cancer and bone metastasis;
  • Tumor microenvironment and cancer–bone interactions;
  • Multifunctional scaffolds for combined bone regeneration and anti-cancer therapy;
  • Stem cell-based strategies in bone regeneration and cancer research;
  • Three-dimensional printing and bioprinting for bone repair and tumor modeling;
  • Drug delivery systems targeting bone tumors;
  • In vitro and in vivo models for bone regeneration and cancer;
  • Clinical translation in orthopedic oncology and regenerative medicine.

We believe that this Special Issue will serve as a valuable platform for researchers working at the interface of tissue engineering, bone biology, and cancer research.

Dr. Elaheh Dalir Abdolahinia
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bone tissue engineering
  • bone regeneration
  • biomaterials and scaffolds
  • bone cancer
  • 3D printing
  • bioprinting

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 4598 KB  
Article
Human Nasal Cells in Nanofibrillar Cellulose Hydrogel: Viability, Function, and Implications for Bone Tissue Regeneration
by Marijana Sekulic, Alina Korah, Simona Negoias, Daniel Bodmer and Vesna Petkovic
Cells 2026, 15(7), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15070641 - 2 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is commonly performed to treat chronic rhinosinusitis and selected sinonasal tumors, yet postoperative complications such as neo-osteogenesis and restenosis remain frequent, largely due to impaired mucosal regeneration after extensive epithelial and bony tissue loss. Successful nasal epithelial repair requires [...] Read more.
Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is commonly performed to treat chronic rhinosinusitis and selected sinonasal tumors, yet postoperative complications such as neo-osteogenesis and restenosis remain frequent, largely due to impaired mucosal regeneration after extensive epithelial and bony tissue loss. Successful nasal epithelial repair requires a microenvironment that preserves cell viability, phenotype, and barrier integrity. Conventional culture substrates often lack physiological relevance or rely on animal-derived components, limiting translational applicability. In this study, we evaluated nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) hydrogel (GrowDex®) as a xeno-free scaffold for primary human nasal epithelial cells (NECs). NECs isolated from healthy donor tissue were characterized by immunofluorescence and qPCR for basal, goblet, and ciliated cell markers. Cells embedded in NFC were assessed for viability, cytotoxicity, epithelial morphology, and barrier function. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and FITC-dextran permeability assays were used to quantify barrier integrity and compared with collagen- and polylysine-based controls. NECs cultured in NFC maintained high viability, stable epithelial morphology, and preserved subtype-specific marker expression without detectable cytotoxicity. NFC-supported cultures demonstrated enhanced barrier formation, indicated by higher TEER values and reduced paracellular permeability relative to controls, and sustained structural integrity during extended culture. These findings identify NFC hydrogel as a biocompatible, non-animal scaffold that supports functional human nasal epithelium regeneration and may contribute to advanced tissue engineering strategies for craniofacial bone repair. Full article
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Review

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39 pages, 2710 KB  
Review
Smart Hydrogels for Craniofacial Regeneration
by Hossein Omidian, Erma J. Gill and Umadevi Kandalam
Cells 2026, 15(12), 1054; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15121054 - 9 Jun 2026
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Abstract
Hydrogel scaffolds have emerged as instructive microenvironments for craniofacial tissue regeneration, moving beyond passive cell carriers toward platforms that regulate cell fate, vascularization, immune remodeling, and tissue-specific architecture. This review synthesizes hydrogel-associated strategies across dental pulp, periodontal ligament, gingival, bone marrow, jawbone, endothelial, [...] Read more.
Hydrogel scaffolds have emerged as instructive microenvironments for craniofacial tissue regeneration, moving beyond passive cell carriers toward platforms that regulate cell fate, vascularization, immune remodeling, and tissue-specific architecture. This review synthesizes hydrogel-associated strategies across dental pulp, periodontal ligament, gingival, bone marrow, jawbone, endothelial, oral mucosal, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC), extracellular vesicle (EV), exosome, secretome, and acellular systems. The evidence indicates that craniofacial hydrogel performance is governed by reciprocal interactions among biological source, scaffold composition, matrix mechanics, spatial architecture, mineral or ionic signaling, growth factor delivery, vesicle-mediated communication, and inflammatory niche modulation. Mineralized and ion-releasing hydrogels most consistently supported osteogenesis and bone repair, whereas extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic, peptide, collagen, fibrin, gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), alginate, hyaluronic acid (HA), and chitosan-based systems enabled pulp–dentin, periodontal, peri-implant, oral mucosal, and soft-tissue reconstruction. Responsive, antimicrobial, antioxidant, conductive, and immunomodulatory hydrogels further expanded the field by targeting diseased microenvironments rather than regeneration alone. Despite strong preclinical evidence, translation remains limited by heterogeneity in scaffold formulations, biological sources, analytical endpoints, defect models, and long-term functional validation. Future progress will require standardized characterization, tissue-specific design criteria, clinically relevant large-animal models, scalable cell-free technologies, and integrated assessment of regeneration, immunity, vascularization, innervation, mechanics, and safety. Full article
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