Mesenchymal stromal cell-based treatment of jaw osteoradionecrosis in swine

Jaw osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a common and serious complication of radiation therapy for head and neck cancers. Bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMMSCs) are multipotent postnatal stem cells and have been widely used in clinical therapies. In the present study, we generated the mandibular ORN model in swine using a combination of single-dose 25-Gy irradiation and tooth extraction. A typical ORN phenotype, including loss of bone regeneration capacity and collagen collapse with the obliteration of vessels, gradually appeared after irradiation. After autologous BMMSC transplantation, new bone and vessels were regenerated, and the advanced mandibular ORN was treated successfully. In summary, we developed a swine model of jaw ORN, and our results indicate that autologous BMMSC transplantation may be a promising therapeutic approach for ORN.