Chitosan composite scaffold combined with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells for bone regeneration: in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

Shengqi Zang,Lei Jin,Qintao Wang,Lei Zhu,Rui Mu,Xiaodong Yan,Xiaocui Wei,Biyao Han,Feng Chen,Kefu Luo,Xiaolei Shi

doi:10.18632/oncotarget.22917

Abstract

The study aimed to develop a chitosan (CS)-based scaffold for repairing calvarial bone defects. We fabricated composite scaffolds made of CS and bovine-derived xenograft (BDX), characterized their physicochemical properties including pore size and porosity, absorption, degradation, and compressive strength, compared their efficacy to support in vitro proliferation and differentiation of human jaw bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hJBMMSCs), and evaluated their bone regeneration capacity in critical-size rat calvarial defects. The CS/BDX (mass ratio of 40:60) composite scaffold with porosity of 46.23% and pore size of 98.23 μm exhibited significantly enhanced compressive strength than the CS scaffold (59.33 ± 4.29 vs. 18.82 ± 2.49 Kpa). The CS/BDX (40:60) scaffold induced better cell attachment and promoted more osteogenic differentiation of hJBMMSCs than the CS scaffold. The CS/BDX (40:60) scaffold seeded with hJBMMSCs was the most effective in supporting new bone formation, as evidenced by better histomorphometry results, larger new bone area, and more obvious mature lamellar bone formation compared to other groups in rat calvarial defects 8 weeks after implantation. These results suggest that CS/BDX composite scaffold combining with hJBMMSCs has the potential for bone defect regeneration.

Highlights

Bone grafting is beneficial in fixing bone defects caused by tumor resection, trauma, or other pathological conditions
The CS/bovine-derived xenograft (BDX) (40:60) scaffold seeded with hJBMMSCs was the most effective in supporting new bone formation, as evidenced by better histomorphometry results, larger new bone area, and more obvious mature lamellar bone formation compared to other groups in rat calvarial defects 8 weeks after implantation
These results suggest that CS/BDX composite scaffold combining with hJBMMSCs has the potential for bone defect regeneration

Summary

Introduction

Bone grafting is beneficial in fixing bone defects caused by tumor resection, trauma, or other pathological conditions. The unique morphology of the calvaria makes it even more difficult to obtain autogenous bone to reconstruct calvarial bone defects. Scaffold-based tissue engineering approach, involving the combination of a custom-made scaffold with cells/signaling molecules to direct tissue repair and restore tissue function, has emerged with great potential to be used in clinics to reconstruct calvarial bone defects [1]. This approach is challenged by issues such as the lack of ideal scaffold to implement and sustain necessary cell activities to regenerate tissue, and the lack of ideal cell type or insufficient quantities of ideal cells for clinical use. ECM is a complex of organic-inorganic biocomposite, which mainly consists, in components, of type I collagen and hydroxyapatite [2]

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion