Effects of neridronic acid on osteoclasts derived by physiological dual-cell cultures

Protocol of Co-Culture of Human Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts to Test Biomaterials for Bone Tissue Engineering

New biomaterials and scaffolds for bone tissue engineering (BTE) applications require to be tested in a bone microenvironment reliable model. On this assumption, the in vitro laboratory protocols with bone cells represent worthy experimental systems improving our knowledge about bone homeostasis, reducing the costs of experimentation. To this day, several models of the bone microenvironment are reported in the literature, but few delineate a protocol for testing new biomaterials using bone cells. Herein we propose a clear protocol to set up an indirect co-culture system of human-derived osteoblasts and osteoclast precursors, providing well-defined criteria such as the cell seeding density, cell:cell ratio, the culture medium, and the proofs of differentiation. The material to be tested may be easily introduced in the system and the cell response analyzed. The physical separation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts allows distinguishing the effects of the material onto the two cell types and to evaluate the correlation between material and cell behavior, cell morphology, and adhesion. The whole protocol requires about 4 to 6 weeks with an intermediate level of expertise. The system is an in vitro model of the bone remodeling system useful in testing innovative materials for bone regeneration, and potentially exploitable in different application fields. The use of human primary cells represents a close replica of the bone cell cooperation in vivo and may be employed as a feasible system to test materials and scaffolds for bone substitution and regeneration.

Co-culture systems of osteoblasts and osteoclasts: Simulating in vitro bone remodeling in regenerative approaches

Bone is an extremely dynamic tissue, undergoing continuous remodeling for its whole lifetime, but its regeneration or augmentation due to bone loss or defects are not always easy to obtain. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a promising approach, and its success often relies on a "smart" scaffold, as a support to host and guide bone formation through bone cell precursors. Bone homeostasis is maintained by osteoblasts (OBs) and osteoclasts (OCs) within the basic multicellular unit, in a consecutive cycle of resorption and formation. Therefore, a functional scaffold should allow the best possible OB/OC cooperation for bone remodeling, as happens within the bone extracellular matrix in the body. In the present work OB/OC co-culture models, with and without scaffolds, are reviewed. These experimental systems are intended for different targets, including bone remodeling simulation, drug testing and the assessment of biomaterials and 3D scaffolds for BTE. As a consequence, several parameters, such as cell type, cell ratio, culture medium and inducers, culture times and setpoints, assay methods, etc. vary greatly. This review identifies and systematically reports the in vitro methods explored up to now, which, as they allow cellular communication, more closely resemble bone remodeling and/or the regeneration process in the framework of BTE. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Bone is a dynamic tissue under continuous remodeling, but spontaneous healing may fail in the case of excessive bone loss which often requires valid alternatives to conventional treatments to restore bone integrity, like bone tissue engineering (BTE). Pre-clinical evaluation of scaffolds for BTE requires in vitro testing where co-cultures combining innovative materials with osteoblasts (OBs) and osteoclasts (OCs) closely mimic the in vivo repair process. This review considers the direct and indirect OB/OC co-cultures relevant to BTE, from the early mouse-cell models to the recent bone regenerative systems. The co-culture modeling of bone microenvironment provides reliable information on bone cell cross-talk. Starting from improved knowledge on bone remodeling, bone disease mechanisms may be understood and new BTE solutions are designed.

Glycosaminoglycans modulate RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis

Skeletal integrity is tightly regulated by the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts that are both under the control of extracellular glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) through their interactions with endogenous growth factors and differentiation-promoting ligands. Receptor activator of NF-kappa-B ligand (RANKL), which is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related protein that is critical for osteoclast formation, is produced by osteoblasts and further modulated by certain types of GAGs. Using unfractionated osteoblast-derived GAGs that reflect the complex tissue microenvironment within which osteoclasts reside, we demonstrate that these GAGs block the osteoclastogenic activity of RANKL. Furthermore, RANKL significantly reduces extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) activity, a putative suppressor of osteoclastogenesis, but osteoblast-derived GAGs eliminate the inhibitory effects of RANKL on ERK activity. Notably, while imposing an anti-osteoclastic effect, these GAGs also enhanced the proliferation of osteoblasts. Thus, the osteoblast microenvironment is a potent source of GAGs that promote bone anabolic activities. The anti-osteoclastogenic and osteoblast-related mitogenic activities of these GAGs together may provide a key starting point for the development of selective sugar-based therapeutic compounds for the treatment of osteopenic disorders.

Cocultures of osteoblasts and osteoclasts are influenced by local application of zoledronic acid incorporated in a poly(D,L-lactide) implant coating

The antiresorptive activity of bisphosphonates such as zoledronic acid (ZOL) has been shown in vitro to be because of their effect on osteoclasts and osteoblasts. However, whether the effect of ZOL on monocultures might be reproducible on cocultures and whether cell interactions might influence this effect has not been described. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of ZOL on cocultures of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vitro. ZOL was incorporated in an implant coating based on poly(D,L-lactide) in different concentrations (10-50 microM). Cell number was measured, and procollagen I synthesis, osteoprotegerin (OPG) secretion and soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (sRANKL) were analyzed. Moreover, TRAP-positive cells and resorption lacunas on dentin chips were counted. Results showed that cell viability was not affected when treated with doses equivalent up to 50-microM ZOL-coated implants (ZOL-CI). Procollagen I and OPG synthesis was highest when treated with 10 microM ZOL-CI, whereas sRANKL showed no significant decrease when treated with the investigated concentrations of ZOL-CI. TRAP-positive cells were decreased when treated with ZOL-CI in a dose-dependent manner. Resorption activity of osteoclasts was not significantly decreased when treated with investigated concentrations of ZOL-CI. Exposure to specific concentrations of ZOL-CI showed a beneficial effect on osteoblast differentiation and protein synthesis. Formation of osteoclast was decreased, whereas a significant decrease in sRANKL secretion and resorption activity of osteoclasts could not be shown. The investigated effect on cocultures might be clinically useful to support fracture healing and to reduce orthopedic implant loosening.

In vitro assessment of liposomal neridronate on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells

Bisphosphonates have been used for decades in the standard therapy of bone-related diseases, including bone metastasis of various malignancies, and they might as well be toxic on early cancer cells themselves. In order to allow a better delivery of neridronate (a N-containing bisphosphonate with relatively poor activity), liposomes were evaluated in vitro on cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, U87-MG and Caco2). After chemical synthesis, this water-soluble molecule was encapsulated into liposomes containing DOPC:DOPG:Chol (72:27:1 molar ratio). The influence of neridronate (free or liposomal) on cell viability or proliferation after treatment was evaluated using the MTT method, as well as cell migration and invasion assays; these techniques showed a drastic improvement of the action of neridronate on MDA-MB-231 cells with an EC(50) 50 times lower when neridronate was encapsulated. Internalization of liposomes was followed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy, demonstrating internalization via the endocytic pathway. Furthermore, since overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (particularly MMP-2 and MMP-9) has been correlated to poor prognosis in many cancer types, detection of MMP expression is a satisfactory indication of the therapy efficiency and was then performed on treated cells. On MDA-MB-231 cells, MPPs expression was also significantly reduced by neridronate while entrapped in liposomes.

Current options for the treatment of Paget's disease of the bone

Paget’s disease of bone (PDB) is a chronic bone remodelling disorder characterized by increased osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, with subsequent compensatory increases in new bone formation, resulting in a disorganized mosaic of woven and lamellar bone at affected skeletal sites. This disease is most often asymptomatic but can be associated with bone pain or deformity, fractures, secondary arthritis, neurological complications, deafness, contributing to substantial morbidity and reduced quality of life. Neoplastic degeneration of pagetic bone is a relatively rare event, occurring with an incidence of less than 1%, but has a grave prognosis. Specific therapy for PDB is aimed at decreasing the abnormal bone turnover and bisphosphonates are currently considered the treatment of choice. These treatments are associated with a reduction in plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and an improvement in radiological and scintigraphic appearance and with a reduction in bone pain and bone deformity, Recently, the availability of newer, more potent nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates has improved treatment outcomes, allowing a more effective and convenient management of this debilitating disorder.