Treatment of Large Bone Defects with a Vascularized Periosteal Flap in Combination with Biodegradable Scaffold Seeded with Bone Marrow-Derived Mononuclear Cells: An Experimental Study in Rats

The handling property and short term biological response to a new composite of fibrillar collagen (FC) and porous calcium phosphate (HA/TCP) were studied. A 4 mm by 20 mm defect was created in the femora of rabbits. The rabbits were divided into four treatment groups and sacrificed from each group at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. In each group, the defect was treated as follows: in Group I with autogenous bone marrow; in Group II with FC and HA/TCP; and in Group III with FC and HA/TCP with bone marrow in volume ratio of 3:1. In the fourth group, the defect was unfilled. The femora were excised and studied by microradiography or histology or both. The FC could improve the handling property of the HA/TCP granules. Although the composite of FC and HA/TCP was not osteoinductive, the defects in Groups II and III showed good healing at 12 weeks without signs of inflammation. The results showed the composite of FC and HA/TCP to be an effective filler for large bone defects especially when mixed with autogenous bone marrow.

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Evaluation of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) Functions on a Biomorphic Rattan-Wood-Derived Scaffold: A Comparison between Cultured and Uncultured MSCs

Bioengineering ◽

10.3390/bioengineering9010001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Payal Ganguly ◽

Jehan J. El-Jawhari ◽

James Vun ◽

Peter V. Giannoudis ◽

Elena A. Jones

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Bone Marrow ◽

Endothelial Cells ◽

Bone Defects ◽

Human Endothelial Cells ◽

Transcriptional Signature ◽

Biological Potency ◽

Large Bone ◽

Vegf Release ◽

Large Bone Defects

The reconstruction of large bone defects requires the use of biocompatible osteoconductive scaffolds. These scaffolds are often loaded with the patient’s own bone marrow (BM) cells to facilitate osteoinductivity and biological potency. Scaffolds that are naturally sourced and fabricated through biomorphic transitions of rattan wood (B-HA scaffolds) offer a unique advantage of higher mechanical strength and bioactivity. In this study, we investigated the ability of a biomorphic B-HA scaffold (B-HA) to support the attachment, survival and gene expression profile of human uncultured BM-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs, n = 6) and culture expanded MSCs (cMSCs, n = 7) in comparison to a sintered, porous HA scaffold (S-HA). B-HA scaffolds supported BMSC attachment (average 98%) and their survival up to 4 weeks in culture. Flow cytometry confirmed the phenotype of cMSCs on the scaffolds. Gene expression indicated clear segregation between cMSCs and BMSCs with MSC osteogenesis- and adipogenesis-related genes including RUNX2, PPARγ, ALP and FABP4 being higher expressed in BMSCs. These data indicated a unique transcriptional signature of BMSCs that was distinct from that of cMSCs regardless of the type of scaffold or time in culture. There was no statistical difference in the expression of osteogenic genes in BMSCs or cMSCs in B-HA compared to S-HA. VEGF release from cMSCs co-cultured with human endothelial cells (n = 4) on B-HA scaffolds suggested significantly higher supernatant concentration with endothelial cells on day 14. This indicated a potential mechanism for providing vasculature to the repair area when such scaffolds are used for treating large bone defects.

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