An OU chemical engineering team has succeeded in growing bone
tissue as part of an ongoing research project.

Professor Vassilios Sikavitsas and a team of six students are
studying bone-tissue engineering in Sarkeys Energy Center.

The perfection of the bone-growing process could eventually
provide a significant alternative to the use of artificial limbs,
bone cement, bone grafts or transplants from deceased donors for
treating bone-related injuries.

“The whole idea behind this project is to find a better
way to treat major trauma to the skeleton caused by accidents and
diseases,” Sikavitsas said.

While the body can often repair some bone injuries on its own,
there are cases, such as serious car accidents or advanced bone
cancer, where the trauma is so major that large parts of the
skeleton must be removed to prolong the life of the person,
Sikavitsas said.

“We are coming in and saying, ‘You know what? We are
engineers, and we are going to think of a process that can help the
body regenerate the bone.’”

The process begins by creating a bone-like structure using a
compressed material made of biodegradable polylactic acid and salt.
This compressed material can be shaped to match any of the 206
bones in the human body.

Next, the compressed material is placed in water to dissolve the
salt. Removing the salt creates a porous structure ideal for bone
growth using adult stem cells from bone marrow. Cell growth is then
encouraged by feeding the cells a glucose-based solution that flows
through the pores of the bone-like structure. Within two to three
weeks, mineral deposits appear as the bone tissue begins to
develop.

Sikavitsas and his team are trying to determine the ideal
conditions for bone-tissue growth by manipulating variables of the
experiment. These variables include the flow rate of the
glucose-based solution, the compressed materials used to create the
structure and the shape and architecture of these structures.

The bone-tissue-engineering project is funded by a $60,000 grant
shared by Sikavitsas and biochemistry professor Paul DeAngelis, who
works at OU’s Health Sciences Center. The funding comes from
a $1 million special-opportunity award from the Whitaker Foundation
designated for developing an inter-campus bioengineering center at
OU, said Edgar O’Rear, Bioengineering Center director.

Sikavitsas is one of the new faculty members added to develop
this area, O’Rear said. Sikavitsas came to OU in 2002.

Research projects such as this help place OU in the top tier of
schools recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for research and
scholarship. To qualify for this classification, the institution
must award 50 or more doctoral degrees each year in at least 15
disciplines.

As the research progresses, Sikavitsas said he is confident the
process of bone-tissue engineering will be improved and will
stimulate interest from substantial funding sources.

“Bone-tissue engineering is all about perfecting a process
that mimics nature,” Sikavitsas said. “As we continue
this research, I am confident that the University of Oklahoma can
create teams with other institutions and researchers in the state
to become a major player in biomedical engineering.”
hello there & you too