Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Bioactive Factors, and Scaffolds in Bone Repair: From Research Perspectives to Clinical Practice.

Sandra Stamnitz,Aleksandra Klimczak

doi:10.3390/cells10081925

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies are promising tools for bone tissue regeneration. However, tracking cells and maintaining them in the site of injury is difficult. A potential solution is to seed the cells onto a biocompatible scaffold. Construct development in bone tissue engineering is a complex step-by-step process with many variables to be optimized, such as stem cell source, osteogenic molecular factors, scaffold design, and an appropriate in vivo animal model. In this review, an MSC-based tissue engineering approach for bone repair is reported. Firstly, MSC role in bone formation and regeneration is detailed. Secondly, MSC-based bone tissue biomaterial design is analyzed from a research perspective. Finally, examples of animal preclinical and human clinical trials involving MSCs and scaffolds in bone repair are presented.

Highlights

Bone tissue disorders affect millions of people worldwide and are one of the major clinical cases in orthopedics
Bone tissue engineering constructs based on a biomaterial scaffold and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are undoubtedly a promising alternative to standard bone graft
MSCs are known to play a crucial role in bone repair process, there are still some factors and pathways to be fully understand and optimized

Summary

Introduction

Bone tissue disorders affect millions of people worldwide and are one of the major clinical cases in orthopedics. Due to comorbidities such as diabetes, there is an up to six times greater risk to suffer a fracture and twice as slow healing rate. Fracture healing disruptions can lead to critical-sized bone defects, over 2 cm long, affecting more than half of the bone diameter [3]. These orthopedic complications remain the most challenging problem in surgery. Bone fracture treatment in the United States generates some of the highest costs, resulting in a significant healthcare burden [4]

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