Grants We Funded

Abstract
Craniofacial skeletal deficiencies involving the mandible, midface, and cranial vault result in a wide range of disabilities including severe airway compromise, malocclusion, inadequate corneal protection, and neurological impairment. Secondary to trauma, tumor resection, or developmental anomalies, these deformities represent a significant reconstructive challenge and account for over $1 billion in annual health care expenditures. While surgical techniques integrating conventional osteotomies with autogenous bone and/or synthetic graft materials can be successful, limitations in donor site morbidity, biocompatibility, and osteoconductivity persist. As an alternative approach, distraction osteogenesis (DO) offers the ability to promote endogenous bone formation across a mechanically controlled environment, providing anatomical and functional replacement of deficient tissue. The application of DO to the craniofacial skeleton has revolutionized the treatment of many congenital and acquired defects. For many patients with mandibular deficiency associated with Pierre-Robin sequence, Treacher Collins syndrome, and craniofacial microsomia, distraction osteogenesis has become the treatment of choice. We have developed a novel model of mouse mandibular distraction which allows for lineage tracing of cellular contribution to the regenerate and genetic dissection of biomechanical force transduction regulating cell differentiation during guided bone formation. Findings from this proposal will deepen our knowledge of how progenitor cells localize to the regenerate and enhance our understanding of craniofacial distraction. The identification of the cellular source within the DO regenerate, the timeline for progenitor cell response, and determination of how these cells transduce physical stimuli to enact a regenerative response may all facilitate development of improved distraction protocols. Findings from this proposal may provide new and effective strategies for reconstruction of the craniofacial skeleton.

Biography
Dr. Ruth Ellen Jones is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Michael T. Longaker at Stanford University. She is originally from Dallas, Texas and earned her undergraduate degree in Honors Spanish at the University of Texas at Austin. She received her M.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center at Dallas, where she went on to match as a General Surgery resident. She has a broad research background in parasitology, public health, and clinical outcomes in pediatric surgery, and has won several funding awards for these endeavors. She joined the Longaker Lab after completing three years of residency in order to pursue basic science research training. She has strong interest in tissue regeneration, stem cell biology and development, with a focus on the interplay between mechanical force and stem cell behavior. Her goal is to develop novel solutions to congenital malformations and pediatric injury states by harnessing the cellular and genetic processes that govern regenerative paradigms.