Stem Cell-Based Tissue Engineering for Bone Repair - Tissue Engineering: Computer Modeling, Biofabrication and Cell Behavior - page 27

repair. Addition of mechanical stimulation to the ex-vivo construct with and with-
out the implant will also lend insight into the role of mechanical stimulation on the
repair of an acute bone defect.

10 Conclusion

The research reviewed here on stem cell-based approaches to tissue engineering of
bone, together with the strategy proposed for incorporating osteoblastic cells into
a collagen-I environment, illustrates advancing research that will provide an un-
derstanding of the importance of cell communication and the role of mechanical
stimulation in the healing process of bone tissue. The biological and mechanistic
insights derived from these studies may then be applied to developing strategies for
stem cell-based healing of other acute injuries and chronic diseases.

The present work benefited from the input of Dr. John R. Matyas, Dr. Derrick
E. Rancourt, and Dr. Roman Krawetz, who provided protocols and antibod-
ies suitable for our study, and valuable criticism of the research summarized
here. This research is supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research,
Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (GSS), and a Canada Research Chair
in Orthopaedic Bioengineering (N.A.D.).

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