Craniofacial Projects

The goal of the craniofacial program is not to choose a single approach, but to attack this complex need from multiple fronts – with five distinct but complementary projects aimed at developing new therapies.

A New Solution for Ear Reconstruction

Scientists aim to improve on the current solution for replacing a human ear -- surgically implanting an ear-shaped device under the skin – by covering the implant with cartilage grown in the lab from the patient’s own cells, reducing the risk of infection and protrusion.

Project Leader:
James Yoo, M.D., Ph.D., Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Synthetic Bone for Reconstruction

Project Leaders:
David Kaplan, Ph.D., Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and J. Peter Rubin, M.D., University of Pittsburgh

Engineering Bone Tissue for Implants

Rather than harvesting existing bone from the body for reconstruction, this project aims to use the body as a bioreactor to grow new bone tissue that can be used to repair battlefield injuries.

Project Leaders:
Antonios Mikos, Ph.D., Rice University, and Mark Wong, D.D.S., University of Texas Health Science Center

Soft Tissue Reconstruction

This joint project involves injecting or implanting the components of engineered tissue: stem cells from a patient’s fat and biodegradable scaffolds. The goal is a soft tissue replacement that can be used not only for craniofacial injuries, but for burns and injuries to the arms and legs.

Project Leaders:
James Yoo, Ph.D., and Sang Jin Lee, Ph.D., Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine; Peter Rubin, M.D., and Kacey Marra, Ph.D., McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine; and David Kaplan, Ph.D., Tufts University

Engineering Skeletal Muscle

The ability of scientists to engineer muscle tissue in the laboratory would solve several major hurdles in reconstructive surgery. This project aims to engineer muscle tissue in the lab using a device to “exercise” or precondition engineered muscle prior to implantation.

Project Leader:
George Christ, Ph.D., Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine