Smooth muscle-like tissues engineered with bone marrow stromal cells

Bone marrow-derived cells have demonstrated the ability to differentiate into multiple mesenchymal cell lineages. Here we tested whether smooth muscle (SM)-like tissues can be created in vivo with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Cultured canine BMSCs, which expressed SM cell-specific markers including SM alpha-actin and SM myosin heavy chain, were seeded on three-dimensional, biodegradable polymer scaffolds and implanted into peritoneal cavity of athymic mice. The cell-scaffold constructs retrieved 4 weeks after implantation formed three-dimensional tissues. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that the tissue reconstructs expressed SM alpha-actin and SM myosin heavy chain. Masson's trichrome staining showed the presence of significant amounts of collagen in the tissue reconstructs. Cells labeled with a fluorescent tracer prior to implantation were still present in the tissue reconstructs 4 weeks after implantation. Non-seeded scaffolds (control groups) retrieved 4 weeks after implantation did not exhibit extensive tissue formation. This study demonstrates the potential of BMSCs as an alternative cell source for tissue engineering of SM.