Perspectives of stem cell use in reconstructive maxillofacial surgery

The discovery of stem cells is one of the greatest achievements of molecular and cell biology, and associated research has confirmed the possibility of self-renewal and differentiation into specialized tissue stem cells. The use of cellular technologies is an important trend in modern medicine. The aim of this article is to briefly review current findings on the use of stem cells in cardiology, endocrinology, neurology, traumatology, and maxillofacial surgery. All data were retrieved from experimental and clinical studies using various cell technologies. The material is part of ongoing maxillofacial surgery research to investigate the possible use of stem cells in reconstructive maxillofacial surgery for jaw bone pathologies in children. Present tissue engineering methods provide some opportunities for solving difficult clinical problems in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Despite some international achievements of effective application of IC in various diseases, clinical use in reconstructive surgery requires further investigation.