Abstract
Decellularized bone matrix is receiving much attention as biological scaffolds and implantable biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of a cell-free demineralized bone matrix on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) survival and differentiation in vitro. The seeding of human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUC-SCs) on decellularized bone matrices up to 14 days was exploited, assessing their capability of scaffold colonization and evaluating gene expression of bone markers. Light and Scanning Electron Microscopies were used. The obtained cell-free decalcified structures showed elastic moduli attributable to both topology and biochemical composition. Morphological observation evidenced an almost complete colonization of the scaffolds after 14 days of culture. Moreover, in hUC-SCs cultured on decalcified scaffolds, without the addition of any osteoinductive media, there was an upregulation of Collagen Type I (COL1) and osteonectin (ON) gene expression, especially on day 14. Modifications in the expression of genes engaged in stemness were also detected. In conclusion, the proposed decellularized bone matrix can induce the in vitro hUC-SCs differentiation and has the potential to be tested for in in vivo tissue regeneration.
Highlights
To develop an efficient and bioactive scaffold with the ability to encourage, guide, and regulate tissue renewal, it is important to consider three main connected factors: 1) the use of a highly biocompatible and bioactive biomaterial; 2) a material processable to mime tissue topology; and3) a scaffold topology fostering the mechanical characteristics of a native tissue in the initial stage of development, as shown by Engler [1].In recent years, several resorbable synthetic and natural polymers have been explored as biomaterials for bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches; materials such as poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone, poly(glycolic acid), polyurethanes, or their blends have been widely used [2,3]
Bone scaffolds have been developed using composite materials based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [11,12], which allow to obtain microfabricated scaffolds with good biocompatibility coupled with excellent mechanical and electrical properties [13,14]
A characteristic compressive curve, ofto the obtained demineralized sample. As it is shown in thestress-strain graph, it is possible determine two elastic moduli: the. As it is shown in the graph, it is possible to determine two elastic moduli: the one for low strains is one for low strains is principally due to the topology of the demineralized bone scaffold, whilst the principally due to the of the scaffold, whilst the elastic modulus for high elastic modulus for topology high strain is demineralized relative to thebone biochemical composition of the scaffolds
Summary
Several resorbable synthetic and natural polymers have been explored as biomaterials for bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches; materials such as poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone, poly(glycolic acid), polyurethanes, or their blends have been widely used [2,3] They show restricted (e.g., just adhesive groups) or absence of bioactive moieties to improve the biocompatibility and this significantly bounds their regenerative capacity. Bone scaffolds have been developed using composite materials based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [11,12], which allow to obtain microfabricated scaffolds with good biocompatibility coupled with excellent mechanical and electrical properties [13,14] Synthetic polymers, such as PLGA, were combined with bioglasses, developing scaffolds with an elastic modulus in the range of natural bone tissue, and endowed with a good cell interaction in term of stem cell osteoblastic differentiation [15]
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