双基因转染犬骨髓间充质干细胞复合HA/ZrO2生物材料新型组织工程骨的构建及其体外成骨能力的研究

目的 构建骨形态发生蛋白2(BMP-2)、血管内皮细胞生长因子165(VEGF165)双基因修饰的骨髓间充质干细胞(BMSCs)复合羟基磷灰石复合二氧化锆(HA/ZrO₂)生物材料的新型组织工程骨,并观察该组织工程骨在体外的成骨能力。方法 采用有机泡沫作为模版,干铺烧制法制备新型的蜂窝状HA/ZrO₂梯度生物材料,电镜观察新型生物材料的表面特性,生物力学试验机检测其力学性能。采取1岁龄健康beagle犬骨髓分离原代BMSCs进行培养,建立双基因修饰的BMSCs复合蜂窝状HA/ZrO₂梯度生物材料的共培养体,构建新型组织工程骨。实验分为4组:未转染组,只转染BMP-2(BMP-2组)和VEGF165(VEGF165组)单一目的基因的BMSCs,以及转染BMP-2、VEGF165共基因慢病毒的BMSCs组(BMP-2+VEGF165组)。显微镜下观察细胞在支架材料上的生长情况,用碱性磷酸酶染色检测各组细胞成骨分化能力,免疫组织化学染色检测其成骨细胞特异性蛋白骨Ⅰ型胶原及骨钙素的分泌。结果 新型材料电镜下其表面整体呈多孔状,孔径125~550 μm,各孔之间存在缝隙联结;其平均抗弯强度为812.25 MPa,最高可达987.12 MPa;共培养体建立后扫描电镜观察转染后的BMSCs在支架材料上黏附生长状况良好,双基因联合转染组细胞分泌基质旺盛;BMP-2+VEGF165组细胞碱性磷酸酶活性检测明显高于其他各组(F=1 029.398,P<0.01),免疫组织化学染色在不同阶段发现成骨细胞早晚期分泌的骨Ⅰ型胶原及骨钙素特异性蛋白。结论 新型的蜂窝状HA/ZrO₂梯度生物材料是一种合适种子细胞生长的支架材料,并且其力学满足人体四肢承重骨的需要;VEGF165、BMP-2双基因转染BMSCs后具有协同作用,能够促进其在体外的成骨分化。     

Effect of autologous bone marrow stromal cell seeding and bone morphogenetic protein-2 delivery on ectopic bone formation in a microsphere/poly(propylene fumarate) composite

A biodegradable microsphere/scaffold composite based on the synthetic polymer poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) holds promise as a scaffold for cell growth and sustained delivery vehicle for growth factors for bone regeneration. The objective of the current work was to investigate the in vitro release and in vivo bone forming capacity of this microsphere/scaffold composite containing bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in combination with autologous bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in a goat ectopic implantation model. Three composites consisting of 0, 0.08, or 8 microg BMP-2 per mg of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres, embedded in a porous PPF scaffold, were combined with either plasma (no cells) or culture-expanded BMSCs. PPF scaffolds impregnated with a BMP-2 solution and combined with BMSCs as well as empty PPF scaffolds were also tested. The eight different composites were implanted subcutaneously in the dorsal thoracolumbar area of goats. Incorporation of BMP-2-loaded microspheres in the PPF scaffold resulted in a more sustained in vitro release with a lower burst phase, as compared to BMP-2-impregnated scaffolds. Histological analysis after 9 weeks of implantation showed bone formation in the pores of 11/16 composites containing 8 microg/mg BMP-2-loaded microspheres with no significant difference between composites with or without BMSCs (6/8 and 5/8, respectively). Bone formation was also observed in 1/8 of the BMP-2-impregnated scaffolds. No bone formation was observed in the other conditions. Overall, this study shows the feasibility of bone induction by BMP-2 release from microspheres/scaffold composites.     

多孔HA/PU复合支架材料生物相容性的评估

进行了三维多孔立体结构的纳米羟基磷灰石/聚氨酯(HA/PU)复合支架材料体外细胞培养和体内肌肉埋植实验研究,评估材料的生物相容性。实验选用SD大鼠的骨髓基质干细胞(BMSCs)和健康的SD雌性大鼠,进行细胞相容性、形态学观察和组织学切片分析。HA/PU支架材料的多孔性为细胞的生长提供了良好的微环境,细胞在内部贴壁爬行、增殖并分化,细胞毒性为零级,材料与周围组织有良好的结合,降解的空间有结缔组织纤维长入。实验表明,HA/PU复合支架材料具有良好的细胞亲和性和组织学相容性,可作为一类新型组织工程支架材料。     

Accelerated bonelike apatite growth on porous polymer/ceramic composite scaffolds in vitro

Although biodegradable polymer/ceramic composite scaffolds can overcome the limitations of conventional ceramic bone substitutes, the osteogenic potential of these scaffolds needs to be further enhanced for efficient bone tissue engineering. In this study, bonelike apatite was efficiently coated onto the scaffold surface by using polymer/ceramic composite scaffolds instead of polymer scaffolds and by using an accelerated biomimetic process to enhance the osteogenic potential of the scaffold. The creation of bonelike, apatite-coated polymer scaffold was achieved by incubating the scaffolds in simulated body fluid (SBF). The apatite growth on porous poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/nanohydroxyapatite (PLGA/ HA) composite scaffolds was significantly faster than on porous PLGA scaffolds. In addition, the distribution of coated apatite was more uniform on PLGA/HA scaffolds than on PLGA scaffolds. After a 5-day incubation period, the mass of apatite coated onto PLGA/HA scaffolds incubated in 5 x SBF was 2.3-fold higher than PLGA/HA scaffolds incubated in 1 x SBF. Furthermore, when the scaffolds were incubated in 5 x SBF for 5 days, the mass of apatite coated onto PLGA/HA scaffolds was 4.5-fold higher than PLGA scaffolds. These results indicate that the biomimetic apatite coating can be accelerated by using a polymer/ceramic composite scaffold and concentrated SBF. When seeded with osteoblasts, the apatite-coated PLGA/HA scaffolds exhibited significantly higher cell growth, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mineralization in vitro compared to the apatite-coated PLGA scaffolds. Therefore, the apatite-coated PLGA/HA scaffolds may provide enhanced osteogenic potential when used as scaffold for bone tissue engineering.     

Effects of hydroxyapatite in 3-D chitosan-gelatin polymer network on human mesenchymal stem cell construct development

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have great potential in bone tissue engineering, and hydroxyapatite (HA), a natural component of human hard tissues, is believed to support hMSC growth and osteogenic differentiation. In this study, two types of biomimetic composite materials, chitosan-gelatin (CG) and hydroxyapatite/chitosan-gelatin (HCG), were fabricated and compared to examine the effects of HA on hMSC adhesion and 3-D construct development. The 2-D membranes were prepared to examine the influence of HA on adhesion efficiency of hMSCs, while 3-D porous scaffolds were produced to investigate the effects of HA on material adsorption properties and 3-D hMSC construct development. HA was found to promote protein and calcium ion adsorption of the 3-D porous scaffolds in the complete tissue culture media. HMSCs exhibited higher initial cell adhesion efficiency to 2-D HCG membranes, and maintained higher proliferation rates in the 3-D porous HCG than CG scaffolds with 3.3 times higher final DNA amount in HCG scaffolds over a 35-day period. Colony forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) assays showed that higher percentages of cells maintained their progenicity in the 3-D porous HCG scaffolds over the 35-day culture period. Differentiation assays indicated that the multi-lineage differentiation potential of the hMSCs was preserved in both 3-D porous scaffolds. However, higher alkaline phosphate activity was detected in the 3-D porous HCG scaffolds upon osteogenic induction indicating improved osteogenic differentiation potential. The results demonstrate that enhanced protein and calcium ion adsorption properties of HA in the CG polymer network improve initial cell adhesion and long-term growth, favor osteogenic differentiation upon induction, as well as maintain the progenicity of the 3-D hMSC constructs.     

In vivo bone formation following transplantation of human adipose-derived stromal cells that are not differentiated osteogenically

A number of studies have shown in vivo bone regeneration by transplantation of osteogenic cells differentiated in vitro from adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs). However, the in vitro osteogenic differentiation process requires an additional culture period, and the dexamethasone that is generally used in the process may be cytotoxic. Here, we tested the hypothesis that ADSCs that are not differentiated osteogenically in vitro prior to transplantation would extensively regenerate bone in vivo when exogenous bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is delivered to the transplantation site. We fabricated a poly(dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/hydroxyapatite (PLGA/HA) composite scaffold with osteoactive HA that is highly exposed on the scaffold surface. This scaffold was able to release BMP-2 over a 4-week period in vitro. Human ADSCs cultured on BMP-2-loaded PLGA/HA scaffolds for 2 weeks differentiated toward osteogenic cells expressing alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OPN), and osteocalcin (OCN) mRNA, while cells on PLGA/HA scaffolds without BMP-2 expressed only ALP. To study in vivo bone formation, PLGA/HA scaffolds (group 1), BMP-2-loaded PLGA/HA scaffolds (group 2), undifferentiated ADSCs seeded on PLGA/HA scaffolds (group 3), and undifferentiated ADSCs seeded on BMP-2-loaded PLGA/HA scaffolds (group 4) were implanted into dorsal, subcutaneous spaces of athymic mice. Eight weeks after implantation, group 4 exhibited a 25-fold greater bone formation area and 5-fold higher calcium deposition than group 3. Bone regeneration by transplanted human ADSCs in group 4 was confirmed by expression of human-specific osteoblastic genes, ALP, collagen type I, OPN, OCN, and bone sialoprotein, while group 3 expressed much lower levels of collagen type I and OPN mRNA only. This study demonstrates the feasibility of extensive in vivo bone regeneration by transplantation of ADSCs without prior in vitro osteogenic differentiation, and that a PLGA/HA composite BMP-2 delivery system stimulates bone regeneration following transplantation of undifferentiated human ADSCs.     

Enhancement of osteogenesis by poly(lactide-co-glycolide) sponges loaded with surface-embedded hydroxyapatite particles and rhBMP-2

The bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were seeded on [poly(lactide-co-glycolide) scaffolds with hydroxyapatite (HA) coating, and "s" stands for surface] (PLGA/HA-S), PLGA/HA-M (containing the same HA amount in the matrix as that of the PLGA/HA-S and "m" stands for matrix), and PLGA scaffolds, which were then cultured in a medium-containing Escherichia coli-derived recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (ErhBMP-2). In vitro culture of rat BMSCs found no different cell morphology in all the scaffolds, but the alkaline phosphatase activity and osteogenic gene expression of type I collagen (COL I) and osteocalcin (OCN) in the PLGA/HA-S scaffolds were always highest and were significantly improved in comparison with those in the PLGA scaffolds. In a rat calvarial defect model, new bone formation was enhanced in the PLGA/HA-S/ErhBMP-2 implants at 4 and 8 weeks after implantation too. Therefore, the PLGA/HA-S scaffold can better enhance the ErhBMP-2-induced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro and osteogenesis in vivo.     

骨髓间充质干细胞在淫羊藿苷/羟基磷灰石/聚乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物支架上的成骨

文题释义：纳米结构：是尺寸介于分子和微米尺度间的物体结构。当纳米羟基磷灰石与高分子材料物理混合后,羟基磷灰石会发生自聚,从而在材料表面产生纳米结构。这种纳米结构有利于细胞(如骨髓充间质干细胞)的黏附,是骨修复材料表面细胞增殖和后期成骨分化的基础。成骨分化：当干细胞接受诱导时可以向成骨细胞转变。淫羊藿苷高分子复合支架与间充质干细胞共培养一段时间后,其骨分化标志物碱性磷酸酶和骨钙素的活性增高,同时成骨相关基因和蛋白(Runx-2、COLⅠ)表达水平上升,即细胞在淫羊藿苷诱导下发生了成骨分化。  摘要背景：近年来,骨组织工程技术为临床治疗骨缺损提供了全新的思路和模式。该研究首次将传统中药与组织工程支架的纳米结构结合,以期探索并构建一种可用于骨缺损治疗的新型骨组织替代材料。目的：研究淫羊藿苷(icariin,ICA)/羟基磷灰石(hydroxyapatite,HA)/聚乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物(poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid),PLGA)复合支架的成骨活性。方法：将HA与PLGA通过物理共混的方式制成HA/PLGA复合支架,然后将其浸泡于不同浓度的ICA溶液中,从而得到ICA/HA/PLGA支架。利用兔骨髓间充质干细胞分别对复合支架的细胞黏附、增殖、成骨作用和细胞毒性进行评价。细胞黏附、细胞增殖和细胞毒性采用MTT法进行检测,碱性磷酸酶活性和骨钙素活性采用ELISA法进行检测,成骨相关基因和蛋白表达水平分别用荧光定量PCR和Western blot法进行检测。结果与结论：①PLGA中加入适量HA可以提高支架的力学强度,且在HA含量为10%时效果最佳,拉伸强度为(1.67±0.37) MPa;压缩模量为(4.17±1.62) MPa,且会在支架表面形成纳米结构;该微结构可以促进骨髓间充质干细胞在支架表面的黏附;②ICA不会影响骨髓间充质干细胞在复合支架上的增殖,且1.00 µmol/L ICA水溶液浸泡后的ICA/HA/PLGA复合支架具有最优的成骨分化功能,其碱性磷酸酶活性、骨钙素活性、成骨相关基因和蛋白(Runx-2和COLⅠ)的表达水平均最高;③ICA/HA/PLGA复合支架无细胞毒性;④结果表明,HA(10%)/ICA(1.00 µmol/L)/PLGA支架具有良好的机械性能、成骨作用和生物相容性,是一种具有良好应用潜力的骨组织工程支架。ORCID: 0000-0002-9770-9109(王德欣) 中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞;骨髓干细胞;造血干细胞;脂肪干细胞;肿瘤干细胞;胚胎干细胞;脐带脐血干细胞;干细胞诱导;干细胞分化;组织工程     

Osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells on partially demineralized bone scaffolds in vitro

Tissue engineering has been used to enhance the utility of biomaterials for clinical bone repair by the incorporation of an osteogenic cell source into a scaffold followed by the in vitro promotion of osteogenic differentiation before host implantation. In this study, three-dimensional, partially demineralized bone scaffolds were investigated for their ability to support osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in vitro. Dynamic cell seeding resulted in homogeneous cell attachment and infiltration within the matrix and produced significantly higher seeding efficiencies when compared with a conventional static seeding method. Dynamically seeded scaffolds were cultured for 7 and 14 days in the presence of dexamethasone and evaluated on biochemical, molecular, and morphological levels for osteogenic differentiation. Significant elevation in alkaline phosphatase activity was observed versus controls over the 14-day culture, with a transient peak indicative of early mineralization on day 7. On the basis of RT-PCR, dexamethasone-treated samples showed elevations in alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin expression levels at 7 and 14 days over nontreated controls, while bone sialoprotein was produced only in the presence of dexamethasone at 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy evaluation of dexamethasone-treated samples at 14 days revealed primarily cuboidal cells indicative of mature osteoblasts, in contrast to nontreated controls displaying a majority of cells with a fibroblastic cell morphology. These results demonstrate that partially demineralized bone can be successfully used with human BMSCs to support osteogenic differentiation in vitro. This osseous biomaterial may offer new potential benefits as a tool for clinical bone replacement.     

Optimized conditions for mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into osteoblasts on a collagen/hydroxyapatite matrix

Collagen/hydroxyapatite (HA) composite scaffolds are known to be suitable scaffolds for seeding with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiated into osteoblasts and for the in vitro production of artificial bones. However, the optimal collagen/HA ratio remains unclear. Our study confirmed that a higher collagen content increased scaffold stiffness but that a greater stiffness was not sufficient for bone tissue formation, a complex process evidently also dependent on scaffold porosity. We found that the scaffold pore diameter was dependent on the concentration of collagen and HA and that it could play a key role in cell seeding. In conclusion, the optimal scaffold for new bone formation and cell proliferation was found to be a composite scaffold formed from 50 wt % HA in 0.5 wt % collagen I solution.     

骨髓间充质干细胞复合羟基磷灰石/磷酸三钙植骨材料的体外研究

目的研究兔骨髓间充质干细胞(BMSCs)在羟基磷灰石/磷酸三钙(HA/TCP)植骨材料上的黏附增殖情况。方法抽取兔股骨骨髓,进行贴壁培养BMSCs。在成骨诱导液中诱导BMSCs,于7d用钙钴法检测碱性磷酸酶活性,10d进行茜素红矿化结节染色;在成脂诱导液中诱导BMSCs,于21d进行油红O染色。将BMSCs接种到HA/TCP植骨材料上,加入成骨诱导液,采用倒置显微镜、荧光显微镜及扫描电镜检测,并采用四氮唑蓝(MTT)比色法测定HA/TCP植骨材料上BMSCs的增殖情况。结果BMSCs在成骨诱导液中7d碱性磷酸酶呈强阳性,10d矿化结节染色呈橘红色;在成脂诱导液中,21d油红O染色呈阳性。BMSCs在HA/TCP植骨材料上孔隙周围及孔隙内生长良好并大量增殖。MTT分析结果显示,HA/TCP对BMSCs的体外增殖无抑制作用。结论BMSCs与HA/TCP植骨材料有良好的生物相容性。     

Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)/hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Biodegradable polymer/bioceramic composite scaffolds can overcome the limitations of conventional ceramic bone substitutes such as brittleness and difficulty in shaping. However, conventional methods for fabricating polymer/bioceramic composite scaffolds often use organic solvents (e.g., the solvent casting and particulate leaching (SC/PL) method), which might be harmful to cells or tissues. Furthermore, the polymer solutions may coat the ceramics and hinder their exposure to the scaffold surface, which may decrease the likelihood that the seeded osteogenic cells will make contact with the bioactive ceramics. In this study, a novel method for fabricating a polymer/nano-bioceramic composite scaffold with high exposure of the bioceramics to the scaffold surface was developed for efficient bone tissue engineering. Poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/nano-hydroxyapatite (PLGA/HA) composite scaffolds were fabricated by the gas forming and particulate leaching (GF/PL) method without the use of organic solvents. The GF/PL method exposed HA nanoparticles at the scaffold surface significantly more than the conventional SC/PL method does. The GF/PL scaffolds showed interconnected porous structures without a skin layer and exhibited superior enhanced mechanical properties to those of scaffolds fabricated by the SC/PL method. Both types of scaffolds were seeded with rat calvarial osteoblasts and cultured in vitro or were subcutaneously implanted into athymic mice for eight weeks. The GF/PL scaffolds exhibited significantly higher cell growth, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mineralization compared to the SC/PL scaffolds in vitro. Histological analyses and calcium content quantification of the regenerated tissues five and eight weeks after implantation showed that bone formation was more extensive on the GF/PL scaffolds than on the SC/PL scaffolds. Compared to the SC/PL scaffolds, the enhanced bone formation on the GF/PL scaffolds may have resulted from the higher exposure of HA nanoparticles at the scaffold surface, which allowed for direct contact with the transplanted cells and stimulated the cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. These results show that the biodegradable polymer/bioceramic composite scaffolds fabricated by the novel GF/PL method enhance bone regeneration compared with those fabricated by the conventional SC/PL method.     

Nucleation and growth of mineralized bone matrix on silk-hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds

We describe a composite hydroxyapatite (HA)-silk fibroin scaffold designed to induce and support the formation of mineralized bone matrix by human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in the absence of osteogenic growth factors. Porous three-dimensional silk scaffolds were extensively used in our previous work for bone tissue engineering and showed excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, silk is not an osteogenic material and has a compressive stiffness significantly lower than that of native bone. In the present study, we explored the incorporation of silk sponge matrices with HA (bone mineral) micro-particles to generate highly osteogenic composite scaffolds capable of inducing the in vitro formation of tissue-engineered bone. Different amounts of HA were embedded in silk sponges at volume fractions of 0%, 1.6%, 3.1% and 4.6% to enhance the osteoconductive activity and mechanical properties of the scaffolds. The cultivation of hMSCs in the silk/HA composite scaffolds under perfusion conditions resulted in the formation of bone-like structures and an increase in the equilibrium Young's modulus (up to 4-fold or 8-fold over 5 or 10 weeks of cultivation, respectively) in a manner that correlated with the initial HA content. The enhancement in mechanical properties was associated with the development of the structural connectivity of engineered bone matrix. Collectively, the data suggest two mechanisms by which the incorporated HA enhanced the formation of tissue engineered bone: through osteoconductivity of the material leading to increased bone matrix production, and by providing nucleation sites for new mineral resulting in the connectivity of trabecular-like architecture.     

Ectopic bone regeneration by human bone marrow mononucleated cells, undifferentiated and osteogenically differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in beta-tricalcium phosphate scaffolds

Tissue engineering approaches using the combination of porous ceramics and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) represent a promising bone substitute for repairing large bone defects. Nevertheless, optimal conditions for constructing tissue-engineered bone have yet to be determined. It remains unclear if transplantation of predifferentiated BMSCs is superior to undifferentiated BMSCs or freshly isolated bone marrow mononucleated cells (BMNCs) in terms of new bone formation in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of in vitro osteogenic differentiation (β-glycerophosphate, dexamethasone, and l-ascorbic acid) of human BMSCs on the capability to form tissue-engineered bone in unloaded conditions after subcutaneous implantation in nude mice. After isolation from human bone marrow aspirates, BMNCs were divided into three parts: one part was seeded onto porous beta-tricalcium phosphate ceramics immediately and transplanted in a heterotopic nude mice model; two parts were expanded in vitro to passage 2 before cell seeding and in vivo transplantation, either under osteogenic conditions or not. Animals were sacrificed for micro-CT and histological evaluation at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks postimplantation. The results showed that BMSCs differentiated into osteo-progenitor cells after induction, as evidenced by the altered cell morphology and elevated alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition, but their clonogenicity, proliferating rate, and seeding efficacy were not significantly affected by osteogenic differentiation, compared with undifferentiated cells. Extensive new bone formed in the pores of all the scaffolds seeded with predifferentiated BMSCs at 4 weeks after implantation, and maintained for 20 weeks. On the contrary, scaffolds containing undifferentiated BMSCs revealed limited bone formation only in 1 out of 6 cases at 8 weeks, and maintained for 4 weeks. For scaffolds with BMNCs, woven bone was observed sporadically only in one case at 8 weeks. Overall, this study suggests that ectopic osteogenesis of cell/scaffold composites is more dependent on the in vitro expansion condition, and osteo-differentiated BMSCs hold the highest potential concerning in vivo bone regeneration.     

Osteogenic potential of human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells as an alternative stem cell source

Adult bone marrow contains mesenchymal stem cells (bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells; BMSCs) which contribute to the generation of mesenchymal tissue such as bone, cartilage, muscle and adipose. However, using bone marrow as a source of stem cells has the limitation of a low cell number. An alternate source of adult stem cells that could be obtained in large quantities, under local anesthesia, with minimal discomfort would be advantageous. Human adipose tissue obtained by liposuction was processed to obtain a fibroblast-like population of cells or adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ATSCs). In this study, we compared the osteogenic differentiation of ATSCs with that of BMSCs. Both cell types were cultured in atelocollagen honeycomb-shaped scaffolds with a membrane seal (ACHMS scaffold) for three-dimensional culturing in a specific osteogenic induction medium. Optimal osteogenic differentiation in both cell types, as determined by alkaline phosphatase cytochemistry, secretion of osteocalcin, mineral (calcium phosphate) deposition and scanning electron microscopy, was obtained with the same three-dimensional culture. Furthermore, osteoblastic lining in vivo was examined using ATSC-seeded or BMSC-seeded scaffolds in nude mice. The present results show that ATSCs have a similar ability to differentiate into osteoblasts to that of BMSCs.     

Application of a polyelectrolyte complex coacervation method to improve seeding efficiency of bone marrow stromal cells in a 3D culture system

High seeding efficiency with homogenous distribution of limited cell sources such as bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are of clinical relevance in scaffold-based tissue engineering. Therefore, considerable research efforts have been invested to ameliorate the seeding efficiency in 3D scaffolds. Preliminary data demonstrated that indeed BMSCs were viable and were able to proliferate in a model 3D scaffold, i.e. Cytomatrix scaffold. However, the eventual practical application of BMSCs in such 3D scaffolds is limited by the low seeding efficiency of the cells within the scaffold. Here, we demonstrated that the cell seeding efficiency of BMSCs in the Cytomatrix scaffold can be improved significantly (t-test, p<0.05) by means of macroencapsulating the scaffold via the complex coacervation of a methylated collagen and terpolymer. The thickness and density of the polyeletrolyte complex can be modulated by the contact time between the methylated collagen and terpolymer to balance between cell entrapment efficacy and mass transfer impedance imparted by the complex. Porcine BMSCs were macroencapsulated in Cytomatrix scaffolds using various polyelectrolyte contact time and cultured under both static and dynamic conditions. Throughout the range of contact time investigated, macroencapsulation did not affect the viability of the porcine BMSCs in dynamic culture. However, the viability of the cells under static cultures was compromised with longer polyelectrolyte contact time. Therefore, this proposed method of macroencapsulation enables customization to achieve enhanced seeding efficiency without mass transfer impedance for different culture configurations.     

Flow Perfusion Improves Seeding of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds with Different Architectures

Engineered bone grafts have been generated in static and dynamic systems by seeding and culturing osteoblastic cells on 3-D scaffolds. Seeding determines initial cellularity and cell spatial distribution throughout the scaffold, and affects cell–matrix interactions. Static seeding often yields low seeding efficiencies and poor cell distributions; thus creating a need for techniques that can improve these parameters. We have evaluated the effect of oscillating flow perfusion on seeding efficiency and spatial distribution of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblastic cells in fibrous polystyrene matrices (20, 35 and 50-μm fibers) and foams prepared by salt leaching, using as controls statically seeded scaffolds. An additional control was investigated where static seeding was followed by unidirectional perfusion. Oscillating perfusion resulted in the most efficient technique by yielding higher seeding efficiencies, more homogeneous distribution and stronger cell–matrix interactions. Cell surface density increased with inoculation cell number and then reached a maximum, but significant detachment occurred at greater flow rates. Oxygen plasma treatment of the fibers greatly improved seeding efficiency. Having similar porosity and dimensions, fibrous matrices yielded higher cell surface densities than foams. Fluorescence microscopy and histological analyses in polystyrene and PLLA scaffolds demonstrated that perfusion seeding produced more homogeneous cell distribution, with fibrous matrices presenting greater uniformity than the foams.