Human mesenchymal stem cell viability, proliferation and differentiation potential in response to ceramic chemistry and surface roughness

Abstract

We investigated the effect of the ceramic chemistry and surface roughness of pure α-tricalcium phosphate, and also αTCP doped with either 1.5wt% or 3.0wt% of dicalcium silicate (C2S), on the response of adult human mesenchymal stem cells (ahMSCs). AhMSCs were plated onto ceramic discs, prepared by a solid-state reaction. After being sintered, some samples were polished up to 1μm, while others were kept as manufactured, which resulted in two surface roughness grades. Viability, proliferation and osteoinductive capacity were determined following various incubation periods.The results showed a non-cytotoxic effect after an indirect apoptosis test. Cell adhesion and proliferation were surface roughness-sensitive and increased proportionally to the roughness of materials. These observations became more evident in the unpolished αTCP ceramic doped with 1.5wt% C2S, which induced osteoblastic differentiation as a result of the roughness and increased concentration of the C2S solid solution in αTCP.