Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 2, 2026

11:00
Isolation and Enrichment of Human Adipose-derived Stromal Cells for Enhanced Osteogenesis
Published on: January 12, 2015
12.1K
Ectopic bone formation by aggregated mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow and adipose tissue: A comparative study
Eelco M Fennema1, Laurent A H Tchang2, Huipin Yuan3,4
1Department of Tissue Regeneration, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
Summary
Aggregating adipose-derived cells enhances their bone formation potential for tissue engineering. While less effective than rhBMP2, cell aggregation shows promise for improving bone regeneration strategies.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are crucial for bone tissue engineering.
- Adipose-derived MSCs (ASCs) and stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells are promising MSC sources but have limited ectopic bone formation.
- Cell aggregation, particularly spheroid formation, has shown potential to enhance MSCs' bone formation capacity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if aggregating ASCs and SVF cells can improve their ectopic bone formation potential.
- To compare the efficacy of cell aggregation with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP2) for bone regeneration.
- To analyze the in vitro gene expression of osteogenic, chondrogenic, and vasculogenic markers in aggregated cells.
Main Methods:
- Formation of cell aggregates (spheroids) from bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs), ASCs, and SVF cells.
- In vitro analysis of gene expression for key developmental pathways.
- In vivo implantation of tissue engineered constructs (TECs) containing aggregated cells in immunodeficient mice.
- Evaluation of ectopic bone formation under various conditions, including the addition of rhBMP2.
Main Results:
- BM-MSCs formed compact spheroids, ASCs formed spheroids to a lesser extent, and SVF cells showed poor spheroid formation.
- ASC aggregation significantly upregulated osteogenic marker gene expression compared to un-aggregated ASCs.
- Both aggregated ASCs and SVF cells formed ectopic bone in vivo without rhBMP2.
- BM-MSCs demonstrated the highest bone formation incidence, followed by SVF + rhBMP2 and no cells + rhBMP2.
Conclusions:
- Cell aggregation can enhance the ectopic bone tissue formation capacity of adipose-derived cells.
- While aggregation improves bone formation, it is less efficient than rhBMP2.
- Future research should explore the additive effects of combining cell aggregation with rhBMP2 for enhanced bone regeneration.

