The potential of stromal cell-derived factor-1 delivery using a collagen membrane for bone regeneration

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a cytokine that is important in stem and progenitor cell recruitment in tissue repair after injury. Regenerative procedures using collagen membranes (CMs) are presently well established in periodontal and implant dentistry. The objective of this study is to test the subsequent effects of the released SDF-1 from a CM on bone regeneration compared to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in vitro and in vivo. For in vitro studies, cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, and osteoblastic differentiation marker genes were assessed after MC3T3-E1 mouse preosteoblasts were cultured with CMs containing factors. In vivo effects were investigated by placement of CMs containing SDF-1 or PDGF using a rat mandibular bone defect model. At 4 weeks after the surgery, the new bone formation was measured using micro-computed tomography (µCT) and histological analysis. The results of in vitro studies revealed that CM delivery of SDF-1 significantly induced cell proliferation, ALP activity, and gene expression of all osteogenic markers compared to the CM alone or control, similar to PDGF. Quantitative and qualitative µCT analysis for volume of new bone formation and the percentage of new bone area showed that SDF-1-treated groups significantly increased and accelerated bone regeneration compared to control and CM alone. The enhancement of bone formation in SDF-1-treated animals was dose-dependent and with levels similar to those measured with PDGF. These results suggest that a CM with SDF-1 may be a great candidate for growth factor delivery that could be a substitute for PDGF in clinical procedures where bone regeneration is necessary.