Osteogenic Cell Sheets Research Articles

Osteogenic cell sheets reinforced with photofunctionalized micro-thin titanium.

Cell sheet technology has been used to deliver cells in single-sheet form with an intact extracellular matrix for soft tissue repair and regeneration. Here, we hypothesized that titanium-reinforced cell sheets could be constructed for bone tissue engineering and regeneration. Fifty-µm-thick titanium plates containing apertures were prepared and roughened by acid etching, some of which were photofunctionalized with 12 min of UV light treatment. Cell sheets were prepared by culturing rat calvarial periosteum-derived cells on temperature-responsive culture dishes and attached to titanium plates. Titanium-reinforced osteogenic cell sheet construction was conditional on various technical and material factors: cell sheets needed to be double-sided and sandwich the titanium plate, and the titanium plates needed to be micro thin and contain apertures to allow close apposition of the two cell sheets. Critically, titanium plates needed to be UV-photofunctionalized to ensure adherence and retention of cell sheets. Single-sided cell sheets or double-sided cell sheets on as-made titanium contracted and deformed within 4 days of incubation. Titanium-reinforced cell sheets on photofunctionalized titanium were structurally stable at least up to 14 days, developed the expected osteogenic phenotypes (ALP production and mineralization), and maintained structural integrity without functional degradation. Successful construction of titanium-reinforced osteogenic cell sheets was associated with increased cell attachment, retention, and expression of vinculin, an adhesion protein by photofunctionalization. This study identified the technical and material requirements for constructing titanium-reinforced osteogenic cell sheets. Future in vivo studies are warranted to test these titanium-reinforced cell sheets as stably transplantable, mechanically durable, and shape controllable osteogenic devices.

Osteogenic Matrix Cell Sheets Facilitate Osteogenesis in Irradiated Rat Bone.

Reconstruction of large bone defects after resection of malignant musculoskeletal tumors is a significant challenge in orthopedic surgery. Extracorporeal autogenous irradiated bone grafting is a treatment option for bone reconstruction. However, nonunion often occurs because the osteogenic capacity is lost by irradiation. In the present study, we established an autogenous irradiated bone graft model in the rat femur to assess whether osteogenic matrix cell sheets improve osteogenesis of the irradiated bone. Osteogenic matrix cell sheets were prepared from bone marrow-derived stromal cells and co-transplanted with irradiated bone. X-ray images at 4 weeks after transplantation showed bridging callus formation around the irradiated bone. Micro-computed tomography images at 12 weeks postoperatively showed abundant callus formation in the whole circumference of the irradiated bone. Histology showed bone union between the irradiated bone and host femur. Mechanical testing showed that the failure force at the irradiated bone site was significantly higher than in the control group. Our study indicates that osteogenic matrix cell sheet transplantation might be a powerful method to facilitate osteogenesis in irradiated bones, which may become a treatment option for reconstruction of bone defects after resection of malignant musculoskeletal tumors.

Utility of tricalcium phosphate and osteogenic matrix cell sheet constructs for bone defect reconstruction

To determine the effects of transplanting osteogenic matrix cell sheets and beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) constructs on bone formation in bone defects. Osteogenic matrix cell sheets were prepared from bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), and a porous TCP ceramic was used as a scaffold. Three experimental groups were prepared, comprised of TCP scaffolds (1) seeded with BMSCs; (2) wrapped with osteogenic matrix cell sheets; or (3) both. Constructs were implanted into a femoral defect model in rats and bone growth was evaluated by radiography, histology, biochemistry, and mechanical testing after 8 wk. In bone defects, constructs implanted with cell sheets showed callus formation with segmental or continuous bone formation at 8 wk, in contrast to TCP seeded with BMSCs, which resulted in bone non-union. Wrapping TCP constructs with osteogenic matrix cell sheets increased their osteogenic potential and resulting bone formation, compared with conventional bone tissue engineering TCP scaffolds seeded with BMSCs. The compressive stiffness (mean ± SD) values were 225.0 ± 95.7, 30.0 ± 11.5, and 26.3 ± 10.6 MPa for BMSC/TCP/Sheet constructs with continuous bone formation, BMSC/TCP/Sheet constructs with segmental bone formation, and BMSC/TCP constructs, respectively. The compressive stiffness of BMSC/TCP/Sheet constructs with continuous bone formation was significantly higher than those with segmental bone formation and BMSC/TCP constructs. This technique is an improvement over current methods, such as TCP substitution, and is useful for hard tissue reconstruction and inducing earlier bone union in defects.

Endothelial cells enhance the in vivo bone-forming ability of osteogenic cell sheets

Addressing the problem of vascularization is of vital importance when engineering three-dimensional (3D) tissues. Endothelial cells are increasingly used in tissue-engineered constructs to obtain prevascularization and to enhance in vivo neovascularization. Rat bone marrow stromal cells were cultured in thermoresponsive dishes under osteogenic conditions with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to obtain homotypic or heterotypic cell sheets (CSs). Cells were retrieved as sheets from the dishes after incubation at 20 °C. Monoculture osteogenic CSs were stacked on top of homotypic or heterotypic CSs, and subcutaneously implanted in the dorsal flap of nude mice for 7 days. The implants showed mineralized tissue formation under both conditions. Transplanted osteogenic cells were found at the new tissue site, demonstrating CS bone-inductive effect. Perfused vessels, positive for human CD31, confirmed the contribution of HUVECs for the neovascularization of coculture CS constructs. Furthermore, calcium quantification and expression of osteocalcin and osterix genes were higher for the CS constructs, with HUVECs demonstrating the more robust osteogenic potential of these constructs. This work demonstrates the potential of using endothelial cells, combined with osteogenic CSs, to increase the in vivo vascularization of CS-based 3D constructs for bone tissue engineering purposes.

Locally injection of cell sheet fragments enhances new bone formation in mandibular distraction osteogenesis: A rabbit model

Effective methods to shorten the treatment period of distraction osteogenesis (DO) are needed. To investigate whether injections of osteogenic bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) sheet fragments could be used to facilitate new bone formation during DO, 30 rabbits underwent bilateral mandibular osteotomy and their mandibles were lengthened at a rate of 0.75 mm/12 h for 6 days after a 5-day latency period. There were three treatment groups (n = 10 for each group): Serum-free medium, dissociated BMSCs, and BMSC sheet fragments. A local injection was conducted with a needle directly into the distracted areas immediately after distraction. Rabbits were sacrificed for examination at 3 and 6 weeks after injection. Gross examination, radiographic evaluation, and micro-CT scanning indicated a significant increase in bony union in the BMSC sheet fragment group, compared with the medium group and the dissociated cell group. The histomorphometric analysis showed more intensive bone formation in the sheet fragment group than the other two groups at each time point. Additionally, the peak load was significantly higher in the fragment group than those in the others. The results show that injection of BMSC sheet fragments promotes bone formation in DO and indicate a promising approach to shorten the treatment period of osteodistraction.

Engineering Vascularized Bone Graft With Osteogenic and Angiogenic Lineage Differentiated Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Tissue-engineered bone provides a promising method for the rehabilitation of acquired bone defects and congenital deformities. However, generating a vascular supply to the engineered graft remains a major challenge. We report a novel strategy to engineer vascularized bone grafts with osteogenic and angiogenic lineage differentiated marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs were expanded to form an osteogenic cell sheet using a continuous culture method and a scraping technique under osteogenic culture conditions. Another portion of MSCs was directed to differentiate into highly proliferative endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which were then seeded onto the cell sheets. Cell sheet-EPC complexes were implanted subcutaneously in nude mice. Cell sheets without EPCs were also implanted as a control. The mice were sacrificed, and the samples were harvested for evaluation consisting of micro-CT scanning, histological analysis and scanning electronic microscopy 4 and 8 weeks after implantation. The results showed that cell sheets were composed of viable cells and extracellular matrix and showed apparent mineralization. The obtained EPCs could express the specific antigen marker of CD31 and form capillary-like structures in vitro. The osteogenic cell sheet-EPC complexes yielded well-vascularized bone grafts 4 and 8 weeks after implantation. Both bone density and vascular density were significantly higher in the cell sheet-EPC complex group than in the control group. The results demonstrated that the introduction of EPCs could not only generate a vascular network but also increase bone formation for cell sheet-based bone engineering. These findings suggest that the strategy of engineering bone grafts with osteogenic and angiogenic lineage differentiated MSCs has great potential for clinical applications to repair large bone defects.

Perivascular-Like Cells Contribute to the Stability of the Vascular Network of Osteogenic Tissue Formed from Cell Sheet-Based Constructs

In recent years several studies have been supporting the existence of a close relationship in terms of function and progeny between Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Pericytes. This concept has opened new perspectives for the application of MSCs in Tissue Engineering (TE), with special interest for the pre-vascularization of cell dense constructs. In this work, cell sheet technology was used to create a scaffold-free construct composed of osteogenic, endothelial and perivascular-like (CD146+) cells for improved in vivo vessel formation, maturation and stability. The CD146 pericyte-associated phenotype was induced from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) by the supplementation of standard culture medium with TGF-β1. Co-cultured cell sheets were obtained by culturing perivascular-like (CD146+) cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) on an hBMSCs monolayer maintained in osteogenic medium for 7 days. The perivascular-like (CD146+) cells and the HUVECs migrated and organized over the collagen-rich osteogenic cell sheet, suggesting the existence of cross-talk involving the co-cultured cell types. Furthermore the presence of that particular ECM produced by the osteoblastic cells was shown to be the key regulator for the singular observed organization. The osteogenic and angiogenic character of the proposed constructs was assessed in vivo. Immunohistochemistry analysis of the explants revealed the integration of HUVECs with the host vasculature as well as the osteogenic potential of the created construct, by the expression of osteocalcin. Additionally, the analysis of the diameter of human CD146 positive blood vessels showed a higher mean vessel diameter for the co-cultured cell sheet condition, reinforcing the advantage of the proposed model regarding blood vessels maturation and stability and for the in vitro pre-vascularization of TE constructs.

Increased osteogenesis with hydroxyapatite constructs combined with serially-passaged bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

We have previously reported on both the osteogenic potential of hydroxyapatite (HA) combined with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and a method involving osteogenic matrix cell sheet transplantation of BMSCs. In the present study, we assessed the osteogenic potential of serially-passaged BMSCs, both in vitro and in vivo. We also assessed whether an additional cell-loading technique can regain the osteogenic potential of the constructs combined with serially-passaged BMSCs. The present study revealed that passage (P) 1 cells cultured in osteogenic-induced medium showed strong positive staining for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin Red S, whereas P3 cells showed faint staining for ALP, with no Alizarin Red S staining. Staining of P1, P2 and P3 cells were progressively weaker, indicating that the osteogenic potential of the serially-passaged rat BMSCs is lost after P3 in vitro. The in vivo study showed that little bone formation was observed in the HA constructs seeded with P3 cells, 4 weeks after subcutaneous implantation. However, P3 cell/HA constructs which had increased cell-loading showed abundant bone formation within the pores of the HA construct. ALP and osteocalcin mRNA expression in these constructs was significantly higher than that of constructs with regular cell-seeding. The present study indicates that the osteogenic potential of the constructs with serially-passaged BMSCs is increased by additional cell-loading. This method can be applied to cases requiring hard tissue reconstruction, where BMSCs require serial expansion of cells.

Development of Osteogenic Cell Sheets for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications

The use of scaffolds in combination with osteogenic cells has been the gold standard in bone tissue engineering strategies. These strategies have, however, in many cases failed to produce the desired results due to issues such as the immunogenicity of the biomaterials used and cell necrosis at the bulk of the scaffold related to deficient oxygen and nutrients diffusion. Here, we originally propose the use of cell sheet (CS) engineering as a possible way to overcome some of these obstacles. Osteogenic CSs were fabricated by culturing rat bone marrow stromal cells in thermoresponsive culture dishes. The CSs were recovered from the dishes using a low-temperature treatment and then were implanted subcutaneously in nude mice. New bone formation was verified from day 7 post-transplantation using X-ray, microcomputed tomography, and histological analysis. The presence of a vascularized marrow was also verified in the newly formed bone after 6 weeks of transplantation. Further, osteocytes were found in this newly formed tissue, supporting the conclusion that mature bone was formed after ectopically transplanting osteogenic CSs. These results therefore confirm the great potentiality of CS engineering to be used in bone tissue engineering applications.

Enhancing bone formation by transplantation of a scaffold‐free tissue‐engineered periosteum in a rabbit model

The periosteum plays an important role in bone regeneration. However, the harvesting of autogenous periosteum is associated with disadvantages such as donor site morbidity and limited donor sources. This study uses an osteogenic predifferentiated cell sheet to fabricate a scaffold-free tissue-engineered periosteum (TEP). We generated an osteogenic predifferentiated cell sheet from rabbit bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) using a continuous culture system and harvested it using a scraping technique. Then, the in vitro characterization of the sheet was investigated using microscopy investigation, quantitative analysis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and RT-PCR. Next, we demonstrated the in vivo osteogenic potential of the engineered sheet in ectopic sites together with a porous β-tricalcium phosphate ceramic. Finally, we evaluated its efficiency in treating delayed fracture healing after wrapping the cell sheet around the mandible in a rabbit model. The engineered periosteum showed sporadic mineralized nodules, elevated ALP activity, and up-regulated gene expression of osteogenic markers. After implantation in the subcutaneous pockets of the donor rabbits, the in vivo bone-forming capability of the engineered periosteum was confirmed by histological examinations. Additionally, when wrapping the engineered periosteum around a mandibular fracture gap, we observed improved bone healing and reduced amounts of fibrous tissue at the fracture site. The osteogenic predifferentiated BMSC sheet can act as a scaffold-free TEP to facilitate bone regeneration. Hence, our study provides a promising strategy for enhancing bone regeneration in clinical settings.

Composite Electrospun Scaffolds for Engineering Tubular Bone Grafts

In this study, poly (epsilon-caprolactone) [PCL] and its collagen composite blend (PCL/Col) were fabricated to scaffolds using electrospinning method. Incorporated collagen was present on the surface of the fibers, and it modulated the attachment and proliferation of pig bone marrow mesenchymal cells (pBMMCs). Osteogenic differentiation markers were more pronounced when these cells were cultured on PCL/Col fibrous meshes, as determined by immunohistochemistry for collagen type I, osteopontin, and osteocalcin. Matrix mineralization was observed only on osteogenically induced PCL/Col constructs. Long bone analogs were created by wrapping osteogenic cell sheets around the PCL/Col meshes to form hollow cylindrical cell-scaffold constructs. Culturing these constructs under dynamic conditions enhanced bone-like tissue formation and mechanical strength. We conclude that electrospun PCL/Col mesh is a promising material for bone engineering applications. Its combination with osteogenic cell sheets offers a novel and promising strategy for engineering of tubular bone analogs.

Vitalisation of tubular coral scaffolds with cell sheets for regeneration of long bones: a preliminary study in nude mice

In this study, cell sheets comprising multilayered living bone marrow stromal cells and extracellular matrix were assembled with tubular coral scaffolds for long bone regeneration. Cell sheet with visible mineralized nodules was harvested and wrapped against tubular coral scaffolds with 5 mm diameter and 1.5 mm wall thickness. New bone formation was investigated by CT scan and histological observation 8 and 12 weeks after implantation of cell sheet/scaffold. The results showed that cortical bone formed within the constructs for both groups. New bone composed 25.75% of the graft in 8 weeks group, compared to that of 40.01% in 12 weeks group. Histological examination showed that new bone formation was in the manner of endochondral osteogenesis, with woven bone matrix subsequently maturing into fully mineralized compact bone. These findings demonstrated that osteogenic cell sheet could vitalize tubulate coral scaffolds to regenerate bone graft with similar shape and structure to native bone.