Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-Anchored Multilayered Mesenchymal Cell Sheets Accelerate Periosteal Bone Formation

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials Science
• Orthopedic Research

Background:

• Cell-based regenerative therapy offers a promising alternative for bone defects resistant to traditional treatments.
• Developing efficient cell delivery and enhancement systems is crucial for successful bone regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a multilayered cell-based bone formation system for enhanced bone repair.
• To investigate the efficacy of mesenchymal cells (MCs) coated with fibronectin-gelatin (FN-G) nanofilms and combined with a novel fusion protein for bone regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of multilayered mesenchymal cells (MLMCs) using FN-G nanofilms.
• In vitro culture of MLMCs and assessment of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression.
• In vivo grafting of MLMCs, with and without the fusion protein (basic fibroblast growth factor-polycystic kidney disease domain-collagen-binding domain [bFGF-PKD-CBD]), into rat femur defects.
• Evaluation of callus volume and bone mineral content post-grafting.

Main Results:

• MLMCs exhibited higher BMP-2 and VEGF expression compared to monolayer MCs.
• Grafting MLMCs significantly increased callus volume and bone mineral content versus sham controls.
• The combination of bFGF-PKD-CBD/MLMCs further enhanced callus formation and bone mineral content.

Conclusions:

• The developed bFGF-PKD-CBD/MLMCs system is a simple and rapid method for generating potent bone graft materials.
• This cell-based approach shows significant potential for promoting bone repair in large defects.