Stem cells derived from fat were added to a cadaver bone and revitalized, then a jawbone was produced through a one-to-one 3D simulation and transplanted into Karakışlar. Now restored to health, the young woman said, "I believed I would recover, and I have no worries left." This groundbreaking work has opened a door of hope for millions of patients suffering from bone loss due to various causes.

Neslihan Karakışlar's life turned into a nightmare after a tumor was diagnosed in her jaw following a mumps infection in Bursa in 2005. At just 17 years old, she underwent multiple surgeries due to a jawbone tumor, losing 17 cm of her lower jawbone. A bone graft from her pelvis was attempted, but it became infected. Just as she was losing hope, the "biochemical" project brought a smile back to her face.

“I have no worries left”

The young woman, who regained her life thanks to the revolutionary work of Turkish doctors, shared her journey at a press conference. Now healthy and looking to the future with hope as she prepares for marriage, she said, "I want to wholeheartedly thank everyone, one by one. I encountered this illness at the age of 14. I was treated in Bursa, but no one knew what my illness was called. Prof. Mehmet explained my condition and told me what we would do. I have no worries left. We began the surgeries, of course there were complications, mostly due to me, but I overcame them thanks to the doctors, and here I am today. They first took a piece from my pelvic bone, but that didn’t work. I got an infection and had to wait a long time. It seemed like it would never end, but it did—though it was a tough process. By then, we had gotten used to it. When they first told me that a new jawbone would be made, they said I’d have to wait a bit, and I agreed. There’s now a visible change. I work in tourism. I’m back to work, and I’m also married,” she explained.

An Inspiration for the Future

The surgical team that performed the operation explained how they ensured tissue compatibility for the development of a 17 cm half-jawbone, while previously only 3 cm bone transplants had been possible. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Veli Karaaltın emphasized that the procedure had been tested on animals in a pilot study and stated that there is no precedent for it worldwide. He highlighted that tissue engineering will offer alternatives for many treatments in the future, saying, "Imagine if people who passed away not only donated their organs but also their tissues. Like a tissue bank, when needed, we could revitalize the tissue by loading it with the patient's own stem cells onto a scaffold. This could apply to the liver, heart, or even eyes. Foundations need to be laid for the future, and Neslihan marks the beginning of that inspiration."

What Was Done?

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Veli Karaaltın provided details about the operation: "To go back to the beginning, this is the first example in terms of jawbone surgery worldwide. We worked on this for 7 years and achieved success after 5 years. Neslihan Karakışlar underwent a total of 12 surgeries. Here, there was diseased bone. To treat it, we had to remove almost half of the jawbone. During that time, we used bone from the pelvis, but it was unsuccessful. Then the idea came to us, inspired by Neslihan, to avoid taking bone from another part of her body. Instead, we used cadaver bone, revitalized it with stem cells, and, thankfully, we succeeded. I believe the most important point is that we completed this procedure without taking a piece from another part of Neslihan's body."

Source: https://www.iha.com.tr/haber-kok-hucreden-kemik-uretildi-cene-kemigine-nakledildi-629057