Face/on: the future of craniofacial medicine through cell-based biofabrication
摘要
Traumatic injuries to the craniofacial skeleton, along with diseases and structural defects affecting oral tissues—including teeth, gums, and the periodontal complex—are among the most prevalent pathological conditions in humans. Over the course of a lifetime, nearly everyone requires some form of dental or maxillofacial care. While current routine clinical procedures—such as surgical reconstructions, tissue grafting, and prosthetic restoration—provide varying degrees of therapeutic benefit, they often fail to fully restore the complex architecture and functions of craniofacial tissues. This limitation primarily reflects the intricate organization of the maxillofacial region, in which soft and hard tissues are tightly coordinated within a precisely regulated anatomical framework. Emerging cell-based biofabrication technologies, such as organoids, three-dimensional bioprinting, and microfluidic organ-on-chip systems, offer promising strategies for improving tissue equivalents and in vitro tissue models, bringing their architecture and functional properties closer to native tissues. In this review, we examine recent advances in craniofacial cell-based biofabrication, focusing on the development of oral tissue organoids, advanced bioprinting techniques—including in situ bioprinting, four-dimensional bioprinting, and volumetric bioprinting—and the implementation of craniofacial organ-on-chip systems. Furthermore, we discuss the principal challenges currently limiting the field and outline prospective directions that may guide the next generation of cranial and oral tissue engineering.