Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2025
10:03
Bioengineering of Humanized Bone Marrow Microenvironments in Mouse and Their Visualization by Live Imaging
Published on: August 1, 2017
11.9K
Ectopic Bone Tissue Engineering in Mice Using Human Gingiva or Bone Marrow-Derived Stromal/Progenitor Cells in
Siddharth Shanbhag1,2, Carina Kampleitner3,4,5, Samih Mohamed-Ahmed1
1Center for Translational Oral Research (TOR), Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
|December 17, 2021
Summary
Three-dimensional spheroid culture enhanced bone formation in bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC). Gingiva-derived progenitor cells (GPC) and MSC in hydrogel-scaffold constructs showed limited bone regeneration potential in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Three-dimensional (3D) spheroid culture enhances mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) osteogenic differentiation and bone regeneration.
- Gingiva-derived progenitor cells (GPC) offer a less invasive alternative to bone marrow MSC (BMSC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vivo bone-forming potential of human GPC and BMSC cultured as 3D spheroids versus 2D dissociated cells.
- To assess the efficacy of hydrogel-scaffold constructs for GPC and BMSC delivery in bone regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Human GPC and BMSC were cultured as 2D or 3D spheroids and encapsulated in human platelet lysate hydrogels (HPLG) combined with 3D-printed poly(L-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) scaffolds (HPLG-PLATMC).
- Constructs were implanted subcutaneously in nude mice, and mineralization was assessed using micro-computed tomography (µCT), histology, SEM, and in situ hybridization (ISH) after 4-8 weeks.
Main Results:
- 3D-cultured BMSC showed significantly greater mineralization compared to 2D-BMSC and 3D-GPC.
- Cell-free constructs exhibited greater mineralization than all cell-loaded constructs after 8 weeks.
- Histology, SEM, and ISH revealed similar mineralization patterns and cell distribution across 2D and 3D groups.
Conclusions:
- Spheroid culture promoted ectopic mineralization in BMSC constructs but not significantly in GPC constructs.
- Dissociated GPC and BMSC performed similarly in the HPLG-PLATMC constructs.
- The HPLG-PLATMC composite scaffold shows promise for bone tissue engineering applications.
