We recommend that you upgrade to the latest version of your browser.

OsteoStem

Using stem cells for clinical treatment of osteonecrosis

In the OsteoStem project, led by Kamal Mustafa and Evelyn Neppelberg, the researchers are evaluating the safety and efficacy of stem cells in the treatment of bone defects in patients with osteonecrosis.

Interiør laboratorium prøvebehandling. Foto
​Osteonecrosis is a therapy-resistant condition that causes significant discomfort for a large number of patients globally, and that currently has limited therapeutic options. The number of patients taking bone-modulating drugs is increasing, which emphasizes the need for developing reliable treatment options for this growing group of patients. The use of advanced therapy, in the form of cell therapy and tissue-engineered products, has been recently increased and considered as a promising new approach in regenerative medicine. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are adult multipotent (stem) cells capable of multi-lineage differentiation and self-renewal. MSCs also have immunomodulatory properties. The potential and value of cell-based therapies have been explored since the early nineties when MSCs were first applied for the regeneration of skeletal tissues. The results achieved in femoral head necrosis have been promising, and our research group, the Tissue Engineering Group​, has recently shown successful applications of MSCs for regenerating alveolar bone in healthy patients. Therefore, the purpose of the OsteoStem project is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MSCs in the treatment of bone defects in patients with osteonecrosis. 

The project, led by Kamal Mustafa and Evelyn Neppelberg, will investigate the safety and therapeutic potential of MSCs derived from osteonecrosis patients in treating osteonecrosis. Furthermore, preclinical studies and in-depth evaluation will be performed focusing on the functional and genomic safety characteristics of MSCs derived from patients enrolled in the study in comparison with MSCs derived from healthy patients. The results from the project will improve our scientific knowledge regarding the safety, quality, and efficacy of autologous MSCs, in order to further expand the clinical applications to gradually include an increasing number of patients with different clinical conditions. As a result, the OsteoStem project could have a direct impact on the quality of life of a large number of patients and represents an innovative new therapeutic approach compared to the currently available therapies.

Project participants​​​​

Kamal Mustafa

Professor, Leader of the Tissue Engineering Research Group and Center of Translational Oral Research (TOR), Deptartment of Clinical Dentistry (IKO), UiB​

Portrett Evelyn Neppelberg. Foto

Director of the Head and Neck Clinic, Haukeland University Hospital (HUH)
Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Dentistry, UiB

Portrett Bjørn Tore Gjertsen. Foto

Professor, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen
Senior Consultant of Haematology at the Department Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital
Chief of Research, Haukeland University Hospital, Helse Bergen Health Trust

Portrett Niyaz Al-Sharabi. Foto
 
Researcher, Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Clinical Dentistry, UiB

Portrett Torbjørn Ø. Pedersen. Foto

Consultant surgeon, Dept. of Maxillofacial Surgery, HUH
Associate Professor, Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Clinical Dentistry, UiB

Portrett Cecilie Gjerde. Foto

Associate professor, Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Clinical Dentistry, UiB

Portrett Tarig Al-Hadi Osman. Foto

Researcher, Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Clinical Dentistry, UiB

Portrett Sigbjørn Løes. Foto

Head of Department, Dept. of Maxillofacial Surgery, HUH
Professor, Department of Clinical Dentistry, University of Tromsø

Portrett Stein Atle Lie. Foto
 

Professor, Biostatistician,Department of Clinical Dentistry, UiB

 

Portrett Daniela Elena Costea. Foto

Professor, Department of Clinical Medicine, UiB

 
A person wearing glasses
Photo: Jørgen Barth

 

Researcher, Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Clinical Dentistry, UiB

Portrett Shuntaro Yamada. Foto
Photo: Jørgen Barth / UiB
Ph.D. candidate, Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Clinical Dentistry, UiB

 Annika Rosé

Professor, Department of Clinical Dentistry, UiB​
Chief Dentist at the Dept. of Oral Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital (HUH)


A tour briefly showing how we use stem cells to engineer bone in a research lab at the University of Bergen - Department of Clinical Dentistry - (Tissue Engineering Research Group). The content of the video is created with the aim of targeting high school students and the general public audience.

Video idea & production: Salwa Suliman, Waad Abdalla. Filming & video editing: Waad Abdalla. Script & scientific content: Salwa Suliman, Ahman R. Elsebahy. Music & audio editing: Erik Johan Bringsvor, Waad Abdalla

Last updated 7/4/2024