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Use of Human Perivascular Stem Cells for Bone Regeneration
Published on: May 25, 2012
Human umbilical cord stem cell encapsulation in calcium phosphate scaffolds for bone engineering
Liang Zhao1, Michael D Weir, Hockin H K Xu
1Department of Endodontics, Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry, University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Biomaterials
|February 13, 2010
Summary
This study developed a novel bone scaffold using umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and calcium phosphate cement. The scaffold supports stem cell differentiation and bone mineral synthesis, offering a promising alternative for bone regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) have limitations including invasive harvesting and reduced self-renewal with age.
- Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) present a viable alternative stem cell source for regenerative applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a self-setting, load-bearing calcium phosphate construct for encapsulating hUCMSCs.
- To assess the osteogenic differentiation potential and bone mineral synthesis capacity of encapsulated hUCMSCs within the scaffold.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffolds, with and without polyglactin fibers, for hUCMSC encapsulation.
- Culturing encapsulated hUCMSCs in osteogenic media and evaluating cell viability, attachment, and differentiation.
- Assessing scaffold mechanical properties (flexural strength) and mineral synthesis using techniques like SEM and XRD.
Main Results:
- The addition of polyglactin fibers significantly increased the flexural strength of the CPC scaffold, enhancing mechanical properties.
- Encapsulated hUCMSCs demonstrated excellent viability and osteogenic differentiation, evidenced by increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) gene expression.
- The scaffolds promoted significant bone mineral synthesis by hUCMSCs, with mineralized area increasing from 3% to 12% over 21 days.
Conclusions:
- hUCMSCs encapsulated within the bioengineered CPC-chitosan-fiber scaffold successfully underwent osteogenic differentiation and synthesized bone minerals.
- The developed scaffold provides adequate mechanical strength, comparable to cancellous bone, and supports hUCMSC viability and osteogenic potential.
- This self-setting scaffold offers a promising biomaterial for bone tissue engineering applications using umbilical cord-derived stem cells.
