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| Although the field of bone tissue engineering has progressed significantly in recent years, the development of structurally ordered tissues has not been accomplished. The major drawbacks of current tissue-engineered bones are disorganized matrix, defective mineralization, low clinical union rate as well as bone healing rate, weak mechanical stability and a reduced osteoblast population and activity. Available studies suggest that angiogenesis is closely associated with bone resorption and bone formation. Moreover, patients with neurological disorders exhibit localized osteopenia, bone fragility and increased fracture rate. It is obvious that the phenomena present in patients with neurological disorders almost coincide with those of tissue-engineered bone. And ongoing research in angiogenesis and neurogenesis has revealed many commonalities between these processes. Therefore, we hypothesize that there is a mutual promotion process between neurogenesis and angiogenesis, and the synchronization of vascularization and neurotization will provide a necessary solution to critical problems in bone tissue engineering. From a clinical standpoint, this hypothesis may throw new light in the treatment of patients with large segmental bone defects, numerous angiogenesis-dependent diseases as well as neurodegenerative diseases. |
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| Keywords:vascularization;neurotization;hypothesis |
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