Cell-Based Fabrication of Organic/Inorganic Composite Gel Material

Abstract

Biomaterials containing components similar to the native biological tissue would have benefits as an implantable scaffold material. To obtain such biomimetic materials, cells may be great contributors because of their crucial roles in synthetic organics. In addition, the synthesized organics—especially those derived from osteogenic differentiated cells—become a place where mineral crystals nucleate and grow even in vitro. Therefore, to fabricate an organic/inorganic composite material, which is similar to the biological osteoid tissue, bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were cultured in a 3D fibrin gel in this study. BMSCs secreted bone-related proteins that enhanced the biomineralization within the gel when the cells were cultured with an osteogenic differentiation medium. The compositions of both synthesized matrices and precipitated minerals in the obtained materials altered depending on the cell culture period. The mineral obtained in the 3D gel showed low crystalline hydroxyapatite. The composite materials also showed excellent osteoconductivity with new bone formation when implanted in mice tibiae. Thus, we demonstrated the contributions of cells for fabricating implantable organic/inorganic composite gel materials and a method for controlling the material composition in the gel. This cell-based material fabrication method would be a novel method to fabricate organic/inorganic composite biomimetic materials for bone tissue engineering.

Oriented bone formation using biomimetic fibrin hydrogels with three‐dimensional patterned bone matrices

“…The calcium content in the fibrin gels showed dramatic increases between 20 and 30 days of culture and then further increased slightly by the end of the culture period. These results are consistent with our previous study, which demonstrated that mineral deposition started after 20 days in floating fibrin gels with BMSCs . OPN, one of the major noncollagenous proteins, is known to be correlated with bone remodeling .…”

“…These results are consistent with our previous study, which demonstrated that mineral deposition started after 20 days in floating fibrin gels with BMSCs. 22 OPN, one of the major noncollagenous proteins, is known to be correlated with bone remodeling. 23 To further examine the composition of the osteogenic-induced fibrin gels, the OPN amounts were determined at different culture times by ELISA.…”

In vitro reproduction of endochondral ossification using a 3D mesenchymal stem cell construct

“…This idea is supported by previous studies indicating slower mineral precipitation of differentiated MSCs in a 3D fibrin gel culture. 25 MSCs are known to differentiate multiple cell types not only chondrocyte but also osteoblast, myoblast, and adipocyte. 26 Since the MSC cell ball was cultured in the osteogenic differentiation medium in this study, osteopontin and osteocalcin, the osteogenic differentiation marker of cells, were also evaluated.…”

Uniquely versatile: nano-site defined materials based on polyphenylene dendrimers

“…Composite materials have found applications in many different fields, such as semiconductors, 123 solar cells 124 and biomedicine. 125,126 PPDs have been used as rigid spacers and cross-linkers of inorganic nanoparticles in a number of composite materials with different applications.…”