Current views on calcium phosphate osteogenicity and the translation into effective bone regeneration strategies

Extracellular calcium and CaSR drive osteoinduction in mesenchymal stromal cells

Bone is the main store of calcium and progenitor cells in the body. During the resorption process, the local calcium concentration reaches 8-40mM, and the surrounding cells are exposed to these fluctuations in calcium. This stimulus is a signal that is detected through the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR), which modulates chemotactic and proliferative G protein-dependent signaling pathways. The objective of the present work is to evaluate the roles of extracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)]o) and the CaSR in osteoinduction. Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (rBMSCs) were stimulated with 10mM of Ca(2+). Several experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effect of [Ca(2+)]o on chemotaxis, proliferation and differentiation on the osteoblastic lineage. It was found that [Ca(2+)]o induces rBMSCs to migrate and proliferate in a concentration-dependent manner. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence also revealed that 10mM Ca(2+) stimulates overexpression of osteogenic markers in rBMSCs, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone sialoprotein, collagen Ia1 and osteocalcin. Functional assays determining ALP activity and mineralization tests both corroborate the increased expression of these markers in rBMSCs stimulated with Ca(2+). Moreover, CaSR blockage inhibited the cellular response to stimulation with high concentrations of [Ca(2+)]o, revealing that the CaSR is a key modulator of these cellular responses.

Bifunctional designed peptides induce mineralization and binding to TiO2

A limitation of titanium implants is the rather poor bonding between the metal and the surrounding tissue. In this research, we aimed at developing functional peptides in the form of monomolecular coatings intended to improve adhesion between the native oxide of the metal (TiO2) and the calcium-phosphate mineralization layer with which it is in contact. Accordingly, a bifunctional peptide with a β-strand motif assumed to strongly bind to the oxide through two phosphorylated serine residues, both situated on the same face of the strand, was designed. The β-strand motif was extended by a mineralization "tail" composed of consecutive acidic amino acids capable of adsorbing calcium ions. This peptide was studied together with two additional control peptides, one serving to elucidate the role of the β-strand in stabilizing bonding with the oxide and the other demonstrating the ability of the tail to induce mineralization. The strong adsorption of the three peptides to the oxide surface was revealed by HPLC. That peptide presenting the mineralization tail showed the highest levels of adsorbed calcium and phosphate ions, as well as the largest area of cellular adherence, demonstrating its potential advantages for use with titanium implants in bone tissue.

Short- and long-term effects of vertebroplastic bone cement on cancellous bone

Vertebroplasty using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement is the most common method to treat osteoporotic vertebral fractures. However, several questions of interest remain to be clarified, including how does PMMA affect the cement-bone interface area and surrounding bone tissue, can damaged bone tissues be repaired, how will PMMA change the bone interface over the long-term, and what happens to PMMA itself? The purpose of this study is to investigate these concerns and provide a basis for clinical evaluation. We made bone defects in the lumbar vertebrae of New Zealand rabbits as a model of osteoporosis and injected them with bone cement. A mechanical testing machine was used to perform axial compression, three-point bending, and twisting resistance tests to observe and investigate the short- and long-term biomechanical properties of PMMA after implantation. Optical, fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and nanoindentation were used to observe the changes in the interface microstructure. PMMA can rapidly establish the strong support with stable function in the near future. Biomechanical experiments showed that biomechanical property of bone cement group was significantly higher than those in the other two groups (P<0.05) biomechanical property of bone cement group may decline with the time, but it's still better than that of OP in the control group (P<0.05). Histomorphological observation result shows that under osteoporosis state the bone grows slower, also bone's rebuilding time extended. And in the later period, main bone's continuous osteoporosis has some impact on the interface. Nano-indentation testing shows that the young modulus and stiffness of the interface among bone, material and interface were significantly differences (P<0.05). Bone cement had gave the best nano indentation hardness, then was interface and bone tissue. PMMA bone cement was able to quickly support and stabilize the defect in the short term, and bone growth restarted at the bone interface and was tightly integrated. However, over the long-term, fluorescent signal was weakened, osteoclasts appeared, the mechanical indicators for both the interface and the whole vertebra decreased, and bone resorption was eventually greater than bone formation, resulting in bone loss. Therefore, vertebroplasty is not the end of treatment, and we need to further study ways to improve the bone cement material, which is crucial for long-term vertebroplasty efficacy, to better treat osteoporosis.

MC3T3-E1 proliferation and differentiation on biphasic mixtures of Mg substituted β-tricalcium phosphate and amorphous calcium phosphate

A low temperature aqueous approach was used to synthesize nanocrystalline, high surface area Mg(2+) substituted β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCMP) to assess its potential use as a synthetic bone graft substitute. X-ray diffraction indicated that β-TCMP was the predominant crystalline phase formed. However, thermal analysis revealed the presence of a secondary amorphous phase which increased with increasing Mg(2+) concentration. Further analysis by Rietveld refinement indicated that the level of ionic substitution of Ca(2+) by Mg(2+) was significantly lower than the amount of Mg(2+) measured using elemental analysis, confirming the formation of a Mg(2+) rich secondary amorphous phase. MC3T3-E1 proliferation on substrates prepared using β-TCMP was assessed using the MTT assay. In comparison to commercially available β-TCP, increased proliferation was observed on samples prepared with 50% Mg, despite elevated Mg(2+) and PO4(3-) concentrations in culture media. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and qRT-PCR were used to study the effect of varying Mg(2+) substitution on osteogenic differentiation. Cells cultured on β-TCMP substrates prepared with increased Mg(2+) concentrations expressed significantly increased levels of ALP activity and osteogenic genes such as, osteocalcin, collagen-1, and Runx2, in comparison to those cultured on commercially available β-TCP.

Evolution of a mesoporous bioactive glass scaffold implanted in rat femur evaluated by (45)Ca labeling, tracing, and histological analysis

Mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) as a biodegradable scaffold with a nanostructure has attracted significant attention. However, the in vivo evolution of MBG, which includes in situ degradation, the local effect induced by degradation, and the disposition of degradation products, remains unclear. In this study, we performed in situ labeling and synthesis of an MBG scaffold for the first time using (45)CaCl2. The obtained (45)Ca-MBG scaffolds possessed a mesoporous-macroporous cross-linked structure. These (45)Ca-MBG scaffolds were implanted in critical-sized rat femur defects (3 × 3 mm) for 1 day and for 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks and analyzed by isotopic quantitative tracing. The results illustrated that the MBG scaffolds gradually degraded over time and persisted at a local level of approximately 9.63% at week 12. This finding suggests that only a very small amount of MBG-released calcium ions may have been transformed into calcium components of the new bone matrix. The research also confirmed that the active ingredients derived from the degradation of MBG scaffolds could actively regulate the mRNA expression levels of osteoblast-related genes in rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) and promote bone regeneration in vivo. Moreover, through isotopic tracing of the entire body, (45)Ca, which disappeared in situ after implantation, could be detected in the heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys, intestines, and brain via the blood and was mainly accumulated in distal bone tissue, including the radius and cranium. However, (45)Ca radioactivity in the body tissues significantly decreased or disappeared after 12 weeks. Systemic toxicological studies on MBG scaffolds demonstrated the degradation products that spread to major organs did not cause abnormal histopathological changes. The above discoveries comprehensively address crucial issues regarding the application of MBG in vivo, and these findings provide a scientific basis for introducing a material with mesoporous structure into clinical applications.

Significance of calcium phosphate coatings for the enhancement of new bone osteogenesis--a review

A systematic analysis of results available from in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials on the effects of biocompatible calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings is presented. An overview of the most frequently used methods to prepare CaP-based coatings was conducted. Dense, homogeneous, highly adherent and biocompatible CaP or hybrid organic/inorganic CaP coatings with tailored properties can be deposited. It has been demonstrated that CaP coatings have a significant effect on the bone regeneration process. In vitro experiments using different cells (e.g. SaOS-2, human mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblast-like cells) have revealed that CaP coatings enhance cellular adhesion, proliferation and differentiation to promote bone regeneration. However, in vivo, the exact mechanism of osteogenesis in response to CaP coatings is unclear; indeed, there are conflicting reports of the effectiveness of CaP coatings, with results ranging from highly effective to no significant or even negative effects. This review therefore highlights progress in CaP coatings for orthopaedic implants and discusses the future research and use of these devices. Currently, an exciting area of research is in bioactive hybrid composite CaP-based coatings containing both inorganic (CaP coating) and organic (collagen, bone morphogenetic proteins, arginylglycylaspartic acid etc.) components with the aim of promoting tissue ingrowth and vascularization. Further investigations are necessary to reveal the relative influences of implant design, surgical procedure, and coating characteristics (thickness, structure, topography, porosity, wettability etc.) on the long-term clinical effects of hybrid CaP coatings. In addition to commercially available plasma spraying, other effective routes for the fabrication of hybrid CaP coatings for clinical use still need to be determined and current progress is discussed.

Substrate geometry directs the in vitro mineralization of calcium phosphate ceramics

Repetitive concavities on the surface of bone implants have recently been demonstrated to foster bone formation when implanted at ectopic locations in vivo. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of surface concavities on the surface mineralization of hydroxyapatite (HA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) ceramics in vitro. Hemispherical concavities with different diameters were prepared at the surface of HA and β-TCP sintered disks: 1.8mm (large concavity), 0.8mm (medium concavity) and 0.4mm (small concavity). HA and β-TCP disks were sintered at 1100 or 1200°C and soaked in simulated body fluid for 28 days at 37°C; the mineralization process was followed by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and calcium quantification analyses. The results showed that massive mineralization occurred exclusively at the surface of HA disks treated at 1200°C and that nucleation of large aggregates of calcium phosphate started specifically inside small concavities instead of on the planar surface of the disks. Regarding the effect of concavity diameter size on surface mineralization, it was observed that small concavities induce 124- and 10-fold increased mineralization compared to concavities of large or medium size, respectively. The results of this study demonstrated that (i) in vitro surface mineralization of calcium phosphate ceramics with surface concavities starts preferentially within the concavities and not on the planar surface, and (ii) concavity size is an effective parameter to control the spatial position and extent of mineralization in vitro.

Modulation of Host Osseointegration during Bone Regeneration by Controlling Exogenous Stem Cells Differentiation Using a Material Approach

Stem cell-based tissue engineering for large bone defect healing has attracted enormous attention in regenerative medicine. However, sufficient osseointegration of the grafts combined with exogenous stem cells still remains a major challenge. Here we developed a material approach to modulate the integration of the grafts to the host tissue when exogenous bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were used as donor cells. Distinctive osseointegration of bone grafts was observed as we varied the content of hydroxyapatite (HA) in the tissue scaffolds implanted in a mouse femur model. More than 80% of new bone was formed in the first two weeks of implantation in high HA content scaffold but lack of host integration while only less than 5% of the new bone was formed during this time period in the no HA group but with much stronger host integration. Cell origin analysis leveraging GFP reporter indicates new bone in HA containing groups was mainly derived from donor BMSCs. In comparison, both host and donor cells were found on new bone surface in the no HA groups which led to seamless bridging between host tissue and the scaffold. Most importantly, host integration during bone formation is closely dictated to the content of HA present in the scaffolds. Taken together, we demonstrate a material approach to modulate the osseointegration of bone grafts in the context of exogenous stem cell-based bone healing strategy which might lead to fully functional bone tissue regeneration.

Synthesis and characterization of xanthan-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites for cellular uptake

In this work xanthan-nanohydroxyapatite (XnHAp) and its equivalent strontium substituted (XnHApSr) were synthesized by the precipitation of nanohydroxyapatite in xanthan aqueous solution, characterized and compared to conventional hydroxyapatite particles (HAp). XnHAp and XnHApSr were less crystalline than HAp, as revealed by X-ray diffraction. Xanthan chains enriched the surface of XnHAp and XnHApSr particles, increasing the zeta potential values from -(7±1)mV, determined for HAp, to -(17±3)mV and -(25±3)mV, respectively. This effect led to high colloidal stability of XnHAp and XnHApSr dispersions and acicular particles (140±10)nm long and (8±2)nm wide, as determined by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. XnHAp and XnHApSr particles were added to xanthan hydrogels to produce compatible nanocomposites (XCA/XnHAp and XCA/XnHApSr). Dried nanocomposites presented surface energy, Young's modulus and stress at break values comparable to those determined for bare xanthan matrix. Moreover, adding XnHAp or XnHApSr nanoparticles to xanthan hydrogel did not influence its porous morphology, gel content and swelling ratio. XCA/XnHAp and XCA/XnHApSr composites proved to be suitable for osteoblast growth and particularly XCA/XnHapSr composites induced higher alkaline phosphatase activity.

Robocasting of biomimetic hydroxyapatite scaffolds using self-setting inks

A new self-setting ceramic ink was developed for robocasting of biomimetic hydroxyapatite scaffolds, based on alpha-tricalcium phosphate and gelatine. After setting a biomimetic hydroxyapatite is obtained, with higher reactivity and resorbability than high-temperature sintered hydroxyapatite. The setting reaction of the ink results in a significant increase of the mechanical properties of the scaffolds.

Strontium-doped calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite granules promote different inflammatory and bone remodelling responses in normal and ovariectomised rats

The healing of bone defects may be hindered by systemic conditions such as osteoporosis. Calcium phosphates, with or without ion substitutions, may provide advantages for bone augmentation. However, the mechanism of bone formation with these materials is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the healing process in bone defects implanted with hydroxyapatite (HA) or strontium-doped calcium phosphate (SCP) granules, in non-ovariectomised (non-OVX) and ovariectomised (OVX) rats. After 0 (baseline), six and 28d, bone samples were harvested for gene expression analysis, histology and histomorphometry. Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), at six days, was higher in the HA, in non-OVX and OVX, whereas interleukin-6 (IL-6), at six and 28d, was higher in SCP, but only in non-OVX. Both materials produced a similar expression of the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL). Higher expression of osteoclastic markers, calcitonin receptor (CR) and cathepsin K (CatK), were detected in the HA group, irrespective of non-OVX or OVX. The overall bone formation was comparable between HA and SCP, but with topological differences. The bone area was higher in the defect centre of the HA group, mainly in the OVX, and in the defect periphery of the SCP group, in both non-OVX and OVX. It is concluded that HA and SCP granules result in comparable bone formation in trabecular bone defects. As judged by gene expression and histological analyses, the two materials induced different inflammatory and bone remodelling responses. The modulatory effects are associated with differences in the spatial distribution of the newly formed bone.

Bone Regeneration Based on Tissue Engineering Conceptions - A 21st Century Perspective

The role of Bone Tissue Engineering in the field of Regenerative Medicine has been the topic of substantial research over the past two decades. Technological advances have improved orthopaedic implants and surgical techniques for bone reconstruction. However, improvements in surgical techniques to reconstruct bone have been limited by the paucity of autologous materials available and donor site morbidity. Recent advances in the development of biomaterials have provided attractive alternatives to bone grafting expanding the surgical options for restoring the form and function of injured bone. Specifically, novel bioactive (second generation) biomaterials have been developed that are characterised by controlled action and reaction to the host tissue environment, whilst exhibiting controlled chemical breakdown and resorption with an ultimate replacement by regenerating tissue. Future generations of biomaterials (third generation) are designed to be not only osteoconductive but also osteoinductive, i.e. to stimulate regeneration of host tissues by combining tissue engineering and in situ tissue regeneration methods with a focus on novel applications. These techniques will lead to novel possibilities for tissue regeneration and repair. At present, tissue engineered constructs that may find future use as bone grafts for complex skeletal defects, whether from post-traumatic, degenerative, neoplastic or congenital/developmental "origin" require osseous reconstruction to ensure structural and functional integrity. Engineering functional bone using combinations of cells, scaffolds and bioactive factors is a promising strategy and a particular feature for future development in the area of hybrid materials which are able to exhibit suitable biomimetic and mechanical properties. This review will discuss the state of the art in this field and what we can expect from future generations of bone regeneration concepts.

Injectable biphasic calcium phosphate cements as a potential bone substitute

Apatitic calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) have been widely used as bone grafts due to their excellent osteoconductive properties, but the degradation properties are insufficient to stimulate bone healing in large bone defects. A novel approach to overcome the lack of degradability of apatitic CPC involves the development of biphasic CPCs (BCPC) based on tricalcium phosphate (TCP) in both α- and β-polymorphs. The aim of the current study was to prepare and analyze the physicochemical properties of BCPCs based on dual phase α/β-TCP as obtained by heat treatment of pure α-TCP. The handling and mechanical characteristics of the samples as well as the degradation behavior under in vitro condition were investigated and compared with a standard monophasic α-TCP-based CPC. The results showed that different heat treatments of commercially available α-TCP allowed the formation of biphasic calcium phosphate powder with a variety of α/β-TCP ratios. The use of biphasic powder particles as a reactant for CPCs resulted into increased setting and injectability times of the final BCPCs. During hardening of the cements, the amount of apatite formation decreased with increasing β-TCP content in the biphasic precursor powders. The morphology of the monophasic CPC consisted of plate-like crystals, whereas needle-like crystals were observed for BCPCs. In vitro degradation tests demonstrated that dissolution rate and corresponding calcium release from the set cements increased considerably with increasing β-TCP content, suggesting that apatitic CPCs can be rendered degradable by using biphasic α/β-TCP as powder precursor phase.

Interactions between inorganic and organic phases in bone tissue as a source of inspiration for design of novel nanocomposites

Mimicking the nanostructure of bone and understanding the interactions between the nanoscale inorganic and organic components of the extracellular bone matrix are crucial for the design of biomaterials with structural properties and a functionality similar to the natural bone tissue. Generally, these interactions involve anionic and/or cationic functional groups as present in the organic matrix, which exhibit a strong affinity for either calcium or phosphate ions from the mineral phase of bone. This study reviews the interactions between the mineral and organic extracellular matrix components in bone tissue as a source of inspiration for the design of novel nanocomposites. After providing a brief description of the various structural levels of bone and its main constituents, a concise overview is presented on the process of bone mineralization as well as the interactions between calcium phosphate (CaP) nanocrystals and the organic matrix of bone tissue. Bioinspired synthetic approaches for obtaining nanocomposites are subsequently addressed, with specific focus on chemical groups that have affinity for CaPs or are involved in stimulating and controlling mineral formation, that is, anionic functional groups, including carboxyl, phosphate, sulfate, hydroxyl, and catechol groups.

Growth factor gene expression profiles of bone morphogenetic protein-2-treated human adipose stem cells seeded on calcium phosphate scaffolds in vitro

The secretome of stem cells strongly determines the outcome of tissue engineering strategies. We investigated how the secretome of human adipose stem cells (hASCs) can be affected by substrate, BMP-2 treatment, and degree of differentiation. We hypothesized that as differentiation progresses, hASCs produce increasingly more gene products associated with processes such as angiogenesis and bone remodeling. Human ASCs were treated for 15 min with BMP-2 (10 ng/ml) to enhance osteogenic differentiation, or with vehicle. Subsequently, hASCs were seeded on plastic or on biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) consisting of 60% hydroxyapatite and 40% β-tricalcium phosphate. A PCR array for ~150 trophic factors and differentiation-related genes was performed at day 21 of culture. A limited set of factors was quantified by qPCR at days 0, 4, 14 and 21, and/or ELISA at day 21. Compared to plastic, BCP-cultured hASCs showed ≥2-fold higher expression of ~20 factors, e.g. cytokines such as IL-6, growth factors such as FGF7 and adhesion molecules such as VCAM1. Expression of another ~50 genes was decreased ≥2-fold on BCP vs. plastic, even though hASCs differentiate better on BCP than on plastic. BMP-2-treatment increased the expression of ~30 factors by hASCs seeded on BCP, while it decreased the expression of only PGF, PPARG and PTN. Substrate affected hASC secretion of Activin A and seemed to affect P1NP release. No clear association between hASC osteogenic differentiation and growth factor expression pattern was observed. Considering our observed lack of association between the degree of differentiation and the expression of factors associated with angiogenesis and bone remodeling by hASCs, future bone regeneration studies should focus more on systematically orchestrating the secretome of stem cells, rather than on inducing osteogenic differentiation of stem cells only. Short incubation with BMP-2 may be a promising treatment to enhance both osteogenic differentiation and environmental modulation.

Calcium Orthophosphate-Based Bioceramics

Various types of grafts have been traditionally used to restore damaged bones. In the late 1960s, a strong interest was raised in studying ceramics as potential bone grafts due to their biomechanical properties. A bit later, such synthetic biomaterials were called bioceramics. In principle, bioceramics can be prepared from diverse materials but this review is limited to calcium orthophosphate-based formulations only, which possess the specific advantages due to the chemical similarity to mammalian bones and teeth. During the past 40 years, there have been a number of important achievements in this field. Namely, after the initial development of bioceramics that was just tolerated in the physiological environment, an emphasis was shifted towards the formulations able to form direct chemical bonds with the adjacent bones. Afterwards, by the structural and compositional controls, it became possible to choose whether the calcium orthophosphate-based implants remain biologically stable once incorporated into the skeletal structure or whether they were resorbed over time. At the turn of the millennium, a new concept of regenerative bioceramics was developed and such formulations became an integrated part of the tissue engineering approach. Now calcium orthophosphate scaffolds are designed to induce bone formation and vascularization. These scaffolds are often porous and harbor different biomolecules and/or cells. Therefore, current biomedical applications of calcium orthophosphate bioceramics include bone augmentations, artificial bone grafts, maxillofacial reconstruction, spinal fusion, periodontal disease repairs and bone fillers after tumor surgery. Perspective future applications comprise drug delivery and tissue engineering purposes because calcium orthophosphates appear to be promising carriers of growth factors, bioactive peptides and various types of cells.

Mapping calcium phosphate activated gene networks as a strategy for targeted osteoinduction of human progenitors

Although calcium phosphate-containing biomaterials are promising scaffolds for bone regenerative strategies, the osteoinductive capacity of such materials is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether endogenous mechanisms of in vivo calcium phosphate-driven, ectopic bone formation could be identified and used to induce enhanced differentiation in vitro of the same progenitor population. To accomplish this, human periosteum derived cells (hPDCs) were seeded on hydroxyapatite/collagen scaffolds (calcium phosphate rich matrix or CPRM), or on decalcified scaffolds (calcium phosphate depleted matrix or CPDM), followed by subcutaneous implantation in nude mice to trigger ectopic bone formation. In this system, osteoblast differentiation occurred in CPRM scaffolds, but not in CPDM scaffolds. Gene expression was assessed by human full-genome microarray at 20 h after seeding, and 2, 8 and 18 days after implantation. In both matrices, implantation of the cell constructs triggered a similar gene expression cascade, however, gene expression dynamics progressed faster in CPRM scaffolds than in CPDM scaffolds. The difference in gene expression dynamics was associated with differential activation of hub genes and molecular signaling pathways related to calcium signaling (CREB), inflammation (TNFα, NFkB, and IL6) and bone development (TGFβ, β-catenin, BMP, EGF, and ERK signaling). Starting from this set of pathways, a growth factor cocktail was developed that robustly enhanced osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our data demonstrate that through the identification and subsequent stimulation of genes, proteins and signaling pathways associated with calcium phosphate mediated osteoinduction, a focused approach to develop targeted differentiation protocols in adult progenitor cells can be achieved.

Hydrogels in calcium phosphate moldable and injectable bone substitutes: Sticky excipients or advanced 3-D carriers?

The combination of hydrogels and calcium phosphate particles is emerging as a well-established trend for bone substitutes. Besides acting as binders for the inorganic phase, hydrogels within these hybrid materials can modulate cell colonization physically and biologically. The influence of hydrogels on the healing process can also be exploited through their capability to deliver drugs and cells for tissue engineering approaches. The aim of this review is to collect some recent progress in this field, with an emphasis on design aspects and possible future directions.

A new platelet cryoprecipitate glue promoting bone formation after ectopic mesenchymal stromal cell-loaded biomaterial implantation in nude mice

Introduction

This study investigated the promising effect of a new Platelet Glue obtained from Cryoprecipitation of Apheresis Platelet products (PGCAP) used in combination with Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC) loaded on ceramic biomaterials to provide novel strategies enhancing bone repair.

Methods

PGCAP growth factor content was analyzed by ELISA and compared to other platelet and plasma-derived products. MSC loaded on biomaterials (65% hydroxyapatite/35% beta-TCP or 100% beta-TCP) were embedded in PGCAP and grown in presence or not of osteogenic induction medium for 21 days. Biomaterials were then implanted subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice for 28 days. Effect of PGCAP on MSC was evaluated in vitro by proliferation and osteoblastic gene expression analysis and in vivo by histology and immunohistochemistry.

Results

We showed that PGCAP, compared to other platelet-derived products, allowed concentrating large amount of growth factors and cytokines which promoted MSC and osteoprogenitor proliferation. Next, we found that PGCAP improves the proliferation of MSC and osteogenic-induced MSC. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PGCAP up-regulates the mRNA expression of osteogenic markers (Collagen type I, Osteonectin, Osteopontin and Runx2). In vivo, type I collagen expressed in ectopic bone-like tissue was highly enhanced in biomaterials embedded in PGCAP in the absence of osteogenic pre-induction. Better results were obtained with 65% hydroxyapatite/35% beta-TCP biomaterials as compared to 100% beta-TCP.

Conclusions

We have demonstrated that PGCAP is able to enhance in vitro MSC proliferation, osteoblastic differentiation and in vivo bone formation in the absence of osteogenic pre-induction. This clinically adaptable platelet glue could be of interest for improving bone repair.