Use of Nerve Tape for Sutureless Neurorrhaphy With Nerve Allograft in Repair of the Inferior Alveolar Nerve

Journal of Craniofacial Surgery · 2026-02-19

Reconstruction of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) following segmental mandibulectomy presents microsurgical challenges. Traditional neurorrhaphy using microsutures can be technically demanding, time-consuming, and may induce local trauma to the nerve graft. The authors report the case of a 52-year-old male with osteoradionecrosis of the mandible who underwent segmental mandibulectomy and immediate reconstruction of the IAN using an allogeneic nerve graft. For restoration of IAN continuity, a processed nerve allograft (Avance Nerve Graft, Axogen, Alachua, FL) was secured using Nerve Tape (BioCircuit Technologies Inc, Atlanta, GA), a sutureless coaptation device constructed with biological scaffold material and nitinol microhook technology to secure and align nerve ends. This product is composed of acellularized porcine small intestinal submucosal (SIS) tissue, like the Axoguard wrap, providing comparable handling and integration properties. This approach allowed rapid, atraumatic indirect neurorrhaphy of the IAN. Postoperative follow-up will be performed to determine whether progressive neurosensory recovery has occurred. Nerve Tape offers a promising alternative for nerve coaptation in trigeminal nerve reconstruction.

Retrospective analysis of external pin fixation of mandibular fractures: A 25-year single institution experience

Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery · 2025-02-07 · 2 citations

Staging and Outcome of Oral Cavity Cancer

Dental Clinics of North America · 2025-05-09 · 1 citations

Secretome enriched with small extracellular vesicles derived from human gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells enhances rat tongue muscle regeneration

Journal of Nanobiotechnology · 2025-06-10 · 8 citations

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the therapeutic effects of stem cells are most likely attributed to their secretome, composed of a myriad of bioactive factors, including small extracellular vesicles (EVs). Due to the potential benefits over cells in term of handling, preservation, stability, and safety, MSC-derived secretome is emerging as a novel cell-free therapeutic for regenerative therapy of various diseases. The purpose of this study is to optimize the xeno-free culture conditions to improve the secretome production by human gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) and test their regenerative potential using an experimental rat model of tongue muscle defect. METHODS: Next-generation mRNA sequencing was performed to compare the gene expression profiles between GMSCs cultured under the defined xeno-free induction culture conditions (iGMSCs) and their 2D-cultured counterparts under regular serum-free conditions. The conditioned media (CM) from iGMSCs and 2D-GMSCs were harvested and concentrated through ultrafiltration to obtain secretomes. The EVs and soluble protein/peptide factor fractions (SPs) from the concentrated CM/secretome were separated using the 35 nm qEVoriginal size exclusion columns. The EVs were confirmed by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), Western blot, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The functional effects of secretomes derived from iGMSCs and 2D-GMSCs on macrophage polarization and skeletal muscle progenitor cells were compared both in vitro and in vivo using a rat tongue defect model. RESULTS: Next-generation mRNA sequencing showed profound transcriptomic changes in iGMSCs compared to their 2D counterparts. Further Gene Ontology (GO)-term annotation and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed significant upregulation of a panel of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to EVs and secreted cellular components (GO_CCs) and enriched pathways in oxidative phosphorylation, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, Notch signaling, and inflammatory responses in iGMSCs compared to 2D-GMSCs. iGMSC-derived CM/secretome showed a significant enrichment of both EVs and SPs compared to that derived from 2D-GMSCs, as confirmed by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), Western blot, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In vitro functional assays revealed a markedly enhanced secretion of IL-10, whilst suppressed LPS-stimulated secretion of TNF-α in macrophages treated with iGMSC-derived CM/secretome in comparison with that from 2D-GMSCs. In addition, iGMSC-derived CM/secretome potently induced the expression of myogenic transcriptional factors in both murine myoblasts and human skeletal muscle progenitors in comparison with 2D-GMSC-derived CM/secretome. Notably, in vivo studies using a rat tongue wound defect model, iGMSC-derived CM/secretome applied topically at the excised wound bed promoted rapid tissue repair/regeneration without fibrosis/scar and shape deformity. CONCLUSION: Secretome derived from GMSCs cultured under optimized xeno-free induction displayed enrichment of EVs and SPs and enhanced pro-myogenic potentials and anti-inflammatory effect on macrophages. These findings have shed light on the potential applications of the optimized iGMSC-derived secretome as cell-free therapeutics for regenerative therapy of tongue wound defects and other muscular diseases.

Staging and Outcome of Oral Cavity Cancer

Dental Clinics of North America · 2025-05-01

Case report: intraosseous capillary hemangioma presenting as an expansile lesion of the mandibular body with sunburst appearance with 2-year follow-up

Frontiers of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine · 2025-03-21

Effects of Maackia amurensis seed lectin (MASL) on OSCC cell morphology, PDPN expression, growth, and motility in a phase 1 clinical trial

Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology · 2025-07-19

BACKGROUND: Podoplanin (PDPN) has emerged as a functionally relevant biomarker and chemotherapeutic target expressed by OSCC cells. PDPN signaling can directly increase tumor cell invasion and metastasis, and also inhibit host lymphocyte activation and immune response. Accordingly, antibodies and Maackia amurensis seed lectin (MASL) can target the PDPN receptor to inhibit OSCC cell migration and viability. However, the effects of MASL on OSCC cells in oral cancer patients has not yet been reported. METHODS: We conducted a Phase 1 human clinical trial to examine the effects of a single 100 mg oral dose of MASL on OSCC cell morphology, PDPN expression, and immune cell infiltration in lesions in oral cancer patients. We also examined the effects of MASL on the PDPN expression, motility, and viability of cells cultured from these patient lesions. In addition, we examined the ability of antibodies to target PDPN and kill OSCC cells by near-infrared photoimmunotherapy. RESULTS: MASL administration was found to be safe and did not produce any adverse effects in any patients. While this single dose did not affect OSCC cell morphology in lesions in situ, it did appear to increase lymphocyte infiltration into tumor fields in one patient by over 5 fold (p < 0.01). In addition, MASL inhibited the growth and motility of all OSCC cells cultured from these patient lesions in a dose responsive manner in vitro (p < 0.05 in all cases) We also report that antibodies can target PDPN on OSCC cells obtained from these patients to destroy them by near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that protocols using MASL and photoimmunotherapies that target PDPN can be developed to effectively treat OSCC lesions in oral cancer patients.

Lingual choristoma with gastric foveolar type glandular epithelium: a case report and review of literature

Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology · 2025-07-21

Not Enough Dentistry

JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery · 2025-01-23 · 2 citations

This Viewpoint discusses the gap in dental insurance coverage for patients with head and neck cancer, many of whom forego dental care to treat or prevent oral complications of head and neck cancer therapy due to financial hardship.

Utility of Porcine-Derived Extracellular Matrix in Tongue Reconstruction

Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery · 2025-09-01