Strontium folate (SrFO) is a recently developed bone promoting agent with interest in medical and pharmaceutical fields due to its improved features in comparison to current strontium based therapies for osteoporosis and other bone diseases. In this work SrFO derivative was synthesized and loaded into biohybrid scaffolds obtained through lyophilisation of semi-interpenetrating networks of chitosan polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate and beta tri-calcium phosphate (βTCP) fabricated using free radical polymerization. The scaffolds were seeded with pluripotent stem cells obtained from human dental pulp and their potential to regenerate bone tissues were assessed using a critical sized defect model of calvaria in rats and compared with those obtained without SrFO. The results obtained both in vitro and in vivo demonstrated excellent cyto-compatibility with resorption of scaffolds in 4-6 weeks and a total regeneration of the defect, with a more rapid and dense bone formation in the group with SrFO. Thus, the use of stem cells sourced from human dental pulp in combination with SrFO are very promising systems for their application in compromised osseous tissue regeneration.

Craniofacial bone defect anomalies affect both soft and hard tissues and can be caused by trauma, bone recessions from tumors and cysts, or even from congenital disorders. On this note, cleft/lip palate is the most prevalent congenital craniofacial defect caused by disturbed embryonic development of soft and hard tissues around the oral cavity and face area, resulting in most cases, of severe limitations with chewing, swallowing, and talking as well as problems of insufficient space for teeth, proper breathing, and self-esteem problems as a consequence of facial appearance. Spectacular advances in regenerative medicine have arrived, giving new hope to patients that can benefit from new tissue engineering therapies based on the supportive action of 3D biomaterials together with the synergic action of osteo-inductive molecules and recruited stem cells that can be driven to the process of bone regeneration. However, few studies have focused on the application of tissue engineering to the regeneration of the cleft/lip and only a few have reported significant advances to offer real clinical solutions. This review provides an updated and deep analysis of the studies that have reported on the use of advanced biomaterials and cell therapies for the regeneration of cleft lip and palate regeneration.

Nowadays, regenerative medicine has paid special attention to research (in vitro and in vivo) related to bone regeneration, specifically in the treatment of bone fractures or skeletal defects, which is rising worldwide and is continually demanding new developments in the use of stem cells, growth factors, membranes and scaffolds based on novel nanomaterials, and their applications in patients by using advanced tools from molecular biology and tissue engineering. Strontium (Sr) is an element that has been investigated in recent years for its participation in the process of remodeling and bone formation. Based on these antecedents, this is a review about the Strontium Folate (SrFO), a recently developed non-protein based bone-promoting agent with interest in medical and pharmaceutical fields due to its improved features in comparison to current therapies for bone diseases.