Abstract 12: LGR6+ Epithelial Stem Cell Augmentation of Fracture Healing

The study successfully isolated LGR6+ epithelial stem cells (ESCs) from GFP-expressing Sprague Dawley rats and confirmed their multipotency by inducing differentiation into osteoblast, chondrocyte, and adipocyte lineages. The research demonstrated that these ESCs, when grown on collagen-coated coverslips (CCS), exhibited similar proliferation rates and morphology to those grown on traditional tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) under both induced and uninduced conditions. The study anticipated that further research would show increased expression of osteogenic markers in CCS-grown cells compared to TCPS. The researchers planned to evaluate the in-vivo potential of LGR6+ ESCs in enhancing fracture healing in various non-union fracture models.