Projects on orofacial Healing/ regeneration, Tissue Engineering is led by Benjamin Fournier (PUPH, PhD, DDS) (working in the « Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers » before joining the Unit). Researchers of this group from MOP – Cordeliers and from BRIO combine projects on mesenchymal stem cells and fibroblasts from the orofacial sphere and on the healing and oro-cranio-facial regeneration. These connective cells, whether obtained from gingiva, bone or the dental pulp from primary or permanent teeth, derive from the neural crest, like most of the tissues in the orofacial sphere. They are responsible for the site-specific healing properties of oral tissues: the dental pulp reacts to attacks by reactive/reparative mineralization, the alveolar bone has superior repair properties compared to the appendicular bone and finally, the oral mucosa, including the gingiva, heals without scarring (ad integrum healing) in most clinical situations.

Oral cells and stem cells participate in repair/regeneration either directly or through their secretome (chemotaxis, immunomodulation) or through the extracellular matrix that they produce and remodel. These cells adapt to their environment in vitro or in vivo depending on where they’re implanted (bone site, subcutaneous, pulp). With tissue engineering, these cells can be used to model/simulate the dynamic phenomena of oral tissues (normal or pathological healing/remodelling). To recreate the external environment of oral tissues, various techniques are employed: collagen matrices, spheroids, co-cultures with endothelial or nervous progenitors, hypoxia, FGF2 or cellularized 3D printing. Furthermore, they have developed new methods such as organoids, and are exploring various aspects of repair and regeneration, ranging from stem cells and vascularization to nervous growth and extracellular matrix remodelling. These methods offer a high potential for cellular or matrix therapies.

This group has already published key papers about oral therapy, and they will continue their efforts to better understand oral healing mechanisms, with the goal of using this knowledge to improve therapy outcomes. The group has established fruitful and ongoing collaborations with renowned research laboratories in Australia, Canada, and Thailand, contributing to its high international visibility. The group’s research focuses on addressing urgent clinical needs such as bone engineering for major jaw defects, dental pulp engineering, facial trauma, and regeneration of hypertrophic scars or cutaneous keloids.

The group consists of scientists (4), specialised engineers (2), and oral medicine specialists (6). Having hospital departments, such as the O-RARES and OSCAR rare diseases networks and the oral medicine and surgery department at the APHP hospitals, is a significant advantage when it comes to addressing clinical issues. The group also actively interacts with the French tissue engineering ecosystem, including the GDR “Réparer l’humain”, the IHM (out of the wall institute) PITOR, the GDR Crestnet, the SFBTM and Biomat. Researchers of this group collaborate with various industrial partners such as Septodont or AFOPI resulting in the successful financing of several projects including CIFRE theses. The group also hosts a startup, Scarcell Therapeutics, which is a testament to its commitment to translating research findings into practical applications for the benefit of society. They have successfully secured grants to pursue their projects, such as ANR, ITI, Idex Emergence, and “Fondation des Gueules Cassées”.