Aim: To enumerate and characterize multipotential stromal cells (MSCs) in a cellular bone allograft and compare with fresh age-matched iliac crest bone and bone marrow (BM) aspirate.
Materials & methods: MSC characterization used functional assays, confocal/scanning electron microscopy and whole-genome microarrays. Resident MSCs were enumerated by flow cytometry following enzymatic extraction.
Results: Allograft material contained live osteocytes and proliferative bone-lining cells defined as MSCs by phenotypic and functional capacities. Without cultivation/expansion, the allograft displayed an 'osteoinductive' molecular signature and the presence of CD45(-)CD271(+)CD73(+)CD90(+)CD105(+) MSCs; with a purity over 100-fold that of iliac crest bone. In comparison with BM, MSC numbers enzymatically released from 1 g of cellular allograft were equivalent to approximately 45 ml of BM aspirate.
Conclusion: Cellular allograft bone represents a unique nonimmune material rich in MSCs and osteocytes. This osteoinductive graft represents an attractive alternative to autograft bone or composite/synthetic grafts in orthopedics and broader regenerative medicine settings.
Keywords: bone marrow; cellular allograft; multipotential stromal cells; osteocytes.