Implications of Biomaterials and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in the Management of Calvarial Bone Defects

The application of biomaterials offers a viable substitute for conventional autologous or allogenic grafting techniques in the restoration of critical-sized cranial defects, providing clinically effective bone regeneration. In recent times, the use of biomaterials has become an option for the treatment of large defects of bone. A vast variety of biomaterials (either natural or synthetic), in combination different cells and growth agents, have been investigated for use as scaffolds. This review aims to discuss different classes of biomaterials used exclusively in the management of cranial defects (critical-sized) and the applications of adipose-derived stem cells with biomaterials acting as their delivery agents, allowing the sustained release of growth factors. It also discusses the role of artificial intelligence and deep learning in the design and development of scaffolds.

Articles were screened in PubMed, and a bibliographic search was conducted using a combination of keywords. Relevant and accessible articles were chosen and included in the narrative review.

The importance of adipose-derived stem cells in regenerative medicine along with the advanced manufacturing techniques, composite materials, and other innovations that have significantly altered how bone scaffolds are created and evaluated has been discussed. We also reviewed the various fabrication methods that hold a promising approach for exclusively treating critical-sized cranial defects and how biomaterials research, along with artificial intelligence, can pave the way for personalized medicine.

Although plenty of progress has been made in the field of biomaterials towards the treatment of critical-sized defects, there is still a need to improve and optimize fabrication techniques, especially in the case of including cells in the scaffolds for enhanced regenerative capacity.

The article investigates various biomaterials in combination with adipose-derived stem cells and their potential to specifically treat critical-sized cranial defects. The methods used to fabricate the scaffolds, along with the delivery of agents like growth factors and genes as external stimuli for bone regeneration, have also been explored in the review. In addition, it addresses the different aspects of how artificial intelligence and deep learning can influence the process of designing scaffolds as a form of personalized treatment in the field of translational medicine.