Human mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in fibrin gels in vitro

This study analyzed human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) behavior in a fibrin sealant. hMSC morphology, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation were analyzed after up to 28 days of incubation in eight different formulations of fibrin gels (Tisseel) prepared with various concentrations of fibrinogen complex (FC) and thrombin. Cell morphology and distribution within the gels were observed by fluorescence microscopy after cell staining with calcein dye. Cell proliferation was assessed by measuring the fluorescence intensity of the cell suspension stained with calcein dye after dissolution of the gels. A standard alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, von Kossa staining, and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to analyze hMSC osteogenic differentiation. Cell behavior varied depending on the gel formulation. Proliferation was higher in the formulations containing a low FC concentration, but ALP activity was higher in the formulations containing a high FC concentration. Variations in thrombin concentration had a lesser effect. Small nodules of mineralization were observed at days 21 and 28 in a formulation containing a high FC concentration, in addition to a marked increase in bone sialoprotein (BSP) gene expression level as well as a lower increase in ALP and osteopontin (OPN) levels. However, there was no significant increase in osteocalcin (OCN) expression, a late marker of osteogenic differentiation, up to day 28. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that hMSC morphology, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation in fibrin gels depended on the FC/thrombin ratio. hMSCs appeared to undergo osteogenic differentiation when seeded in Tisseel fibrin sealant containing a high FC concentration, but they did not fully differentiate into mature osteoblasts.