Osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells in 3-D Zr-Si organic-inorganic scaffolds produced by two-photon polymerization technique

PLoS One. 2015 Feb 23;10(2):e0118164. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118164. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Two-photon polymerization (2PP) is applied for the fabrication of 3-D Zr-Si scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Zr-Si scaffolds with 150, 200, and 250 μm pore sizes are seeded with human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs) and human adipose tissue derived stem cells (hASCs) and cultured in osteoinductive and control media for three weeks. Osteogenic differentiation of hASCs and hBMSCs and formation of bone matrix is comparatively analyzed via alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), calcium quantification, osteocalcin staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is observed that the 150 μm pore size Zr-Si scaffolds support the strongest matrix mineralization, as confirmed by calcium deposition. Analysis of ALP activity, osteocalcin staining and SEM observations of matrix mineralization reveal that mesenchymal stem cells cultured on 3-D scaffolds without osteogenic stimulation spontaneously differentiate towards osteogenic lineage. Nanoindentation measurements show that aging of the 2PP-produced Zr-Si scaffolds in aqueous or alcohol media results in an increase in the scaffold Young's modulus and hardness. Moreover, accelerated formation of bone matrix by hASCs is noted, when cultured on the scaffolds with lower Young's moduli and hardness values (non aged scaffolds) compared to the cells cultured on scaffolds with higher Young's modulus and hardness values (aged scaffolds). Presented results support the potential application of Zr-Si scaffolds for autologous bone tissue engineering.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / cytology
  • Alkaline Phosphatase / metabolism
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic / methods
  • Elastic Modulus
  • Hardness
  • Humans
  • Inorganic Chemicals / chemistry
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / ultrastructure
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Organic Chemicals / chemistry
  • Osteocalcin / metabolism
  • Osteogenesis
  • Polymerization
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Stem Cells / ultrastructure
  • Time Factors
  • Tissue Engineering / methods
  • Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry*
  • Zirconium / chemistry*

Substances

  • Inorganic Chemicals
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Osteocalcin
  • Zirconium
  • Alkaline Phosphatase
  • Calcium
  • Silicon

Grants and funding

Funding from The Cluster of Excellence REBIRTH (http://www.rebirth-hannover.de), Low Saxony Progect Biofabrication for NIFE (http://biofabrication.info), and Grant of the Government of the Russian Federation for the Support of Scientific Investigations under the Supervision of Leading Scientists, Contract No. 14.B25.31.0019. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.