A computer-designed scaffold for bone regeneration within cranial defect using human dental pulp stem cells

Sci Rep. 2015 Aug 3:5:12721. doi: 10.1038/srep12721.

Abstract

A computer-designed, solvent-free scaffold offer several potential advantages such as ease of customized manufacture and in vivo safety. In this work, we firstly used a computer-designed, solvent-free scaffold and human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) to regenerate neo-bone within cranial bone defects. The hDPSCs expressed mesenchymal stem cell markers and served as an abundant source of stem cells with a high proliferation rate. In addition, hDPSCs showed a phenotype of differentiated osteoblasts in the presence of osteogenic factors (OF). We used solid freeform fabrication (SFF) with biodegradable polyesters (MPEG-(PLLA-co-PGA-co-PCL) (PLGC)) to fabricate a computer-designed scaffold. The SFF technology gave quick and reproducible results. To assess bone tissue engineering in vivo, the computer-designed, circular PLGC scaffold was implanted into a full-thickness cranial bone defect and monitored by micro-computed tomography (CT) and histology of the in vivo tissue-engineered bone. Neo-bone formation of more than 50% in both micro-CT and histology tests was observed at only PLGC scaffold with hDPSCs/OF. Furthermore, the PLGC scaffold gradually degraded, as evidenced by the fluorescent-labeled PLGC scaffold, which provides information to tract biodegradation of implanted PLGC scaffold. In conclusion, we confirmed neo-bone formation within a cranial bone defect using hDPSCs and a computer-designed PLGC scaffold.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Bone Regeneration*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Dental Pulp / cytology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Osteoblasts / cytology
  • Polyesters / chemistry
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Skull / transplantation
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / physiology
  • Tissue Engineering / methods*
  • Tissue Scaffolds*
  • X-Ray Microtomography

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Polyesters
  • poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide-co-epsilon-caprolactone)