Efficacy of Calcium Phosphate-Based Scaffold Materials on Mineralized and Non-mineralized Tissue Regeneration

Abstract

Calcium phosphate materials have been advocated as useful implantable scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. We have reported that synthetic octacalcium phosphate (OCP) is capable of enhancing differentiation of hard tissue-forming cells including osteoblastic cells, osteoclast precursor cells, and odontoblastic cells. The differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells is promoted to form new bone in the presence of OCP with atelo-collagen in vivo condition. The stimulatory capacity of OCP to conduct new bone increases with the copresence of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP). Physical and chemical analyses of the materials suggested that the bioactivity of such hydroxyapatite (HA) precursor phases is induced as a result of the progressive change of chemical property of these materials during the hydrolysis into HA under physiological environment. The composite materials composed of OCP and natural polymers are capable of repairing not only mineralized tissues but also non-mineralized tissue. The form of OCP-based materials and the tissue responses to the materials will be summarized.