Transcriptomic Profile of Human Osteoblast-like Cells Grown on Trabecular Titanium

Trabecular titanium implants are widely used in orthopedic surgery and are known to promote osseointegration. In this study, we investigated whether primary human osteoblast-like cells grown inside a 3D trabecular titanium scaffold undergo changes in migration capacity, transcriptomic profile, and cellular phenotype as compared to the same osteoblasts not grown inside the scaffold. Scratch tests have shown that primary human osteoblast-like cells grown inside the 3D trabecular titanium scaffold promote the migration of cells from the external environment into the scaffold. Next generation sequencing analysis demonstrated that primary human osteoblast-like cells grown inside the 3D trabecular titanium scaffold modified the expression of genes involved in cell cycle and extracellular matrix remodeling, while maintaining a normal expression of the specific osteoblast markers, such as osteocalcin and osterix, as well as a comparable mineralization capacity. These data demonstrate that primary human osteoblast-like cells grown inside the titanium scaffold in a 3D environment acquire specific features favoring osseointegration.