Biocompatibility of a Novel Calcium Phosphate (CaP) Ceramic with Intrinsic Osteoinductive Properties

Orofacial clefts represent one of the most common birth defects with an average worldwide prevalence of 1.7 per 1000 live births. Bone grafts may be used to repair clefts. Grafting currently has significant drawbacks, as additional surgery is required to harvest material with consequent patient pain, limited availability and when donor sourced, the possibility of disease transfer and immune response. This project aims to characterise the biocompatibility of synthetic graft materials using a novel cell-based assay. Synthetic materials may represent a credible solution to the clinical and ethical problems of current grafting techniques.