S Suresh Babu

Strontium calcium phosphate for the repair of leporine (Oryctolagus cuniculus) ulna segmental defect

Scaffolds to aid in repair, replacement, or regeneration of bony tissues have been developed using a wide spectra of materials. Under clinical conditions, assessment of healing and implant placement is guided radiographically. In this context, strontiums role in osteostimulation and its relevance in radio-opacity are known. Therefore to aid in assessment and to ensure tissue regeneration, a bone mimetic porous strontium calcium phosphate (SrCaPO(4) ) was synthesized in-house, which was non-cytotoxic (ISO 10993 (Part V) and subsequently characterized for its crystallinity, functional groups, and 3D porous topography. Furthermore, to assess the feasibility of the bioactive ceramic scaffolds in bone repair, SrCaPO(4) and hydroxyapatite (HA-Control) scaffolds were implanted in the segmental ulna bone critical-sized defect (1.5 cm) of New Zealand White Rabbits (leporine model-Oryctolagus cuniculus) for a period of 4 and 12 weeks, respectively. Healing of the defects was uneventful without any inflammation or infection. Radio-opacity of SrCaPO(4) within the defect site enabled easy assessment of implant placement and osteointegration. Again, histological evaluation coupled with micro-CT and histomorphometrical analysis indicated that SrCaPO(4) favored significant de novo bone formation in par with material degradation at 4 and 12 weeks post-implantation compared to HA at 4 and 12 weeks. Investigations on this radio-opaque SrCaPO(4) established its role in the repair of critical-sized segmental defects, proposing it as a suitable bone substitute for clinical reconstructive surgery with easy radiographic evaluation.

Short-term studies using ceramic scaffolds in lapine model for osteochondral defect amelioration.

This study was undertaken to glean preliminary information on the role of triphasic ceramic coated hydroxyapatite (HASi) and biphasic (alpha-tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite based) calcium phosphate (BCP) for the development of osteochondral constructs. The proposed constructs were tested for performance in vitro with rabbit adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (RADMSCs) and further analysed in vivo in a lapine model for osteochondral defect amelioration. Desirable scaffolding architecture ensuring favourable conditions for cell attachment, nutrient exchange and neo-tissue organization was achieved by the synthesis of porous ceramic blocks and characterizations were carried out using x-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The cytocompatibility of the scaffold-cell combination product was evaluated using microscopy techniques that proved the scaffold to be non-cytotoxic and favourable for cell growth and proliferation. Short-term implantation studies were conducted with bare cylindrical HASi and BCP scaffolds, press fit deep into the bony bed of the median femoral condyles of the rabbit, which resulted in favourable specific in vivo response of de novo cartilage-like cells on the surface and sub-surface bony trabeculae. The generated pilot data will help to assess the severity of proposed procedures before embarking on scaled-up efforts.

Adipogenesis on biphasic calcium phosphate using rat adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells: In vitro and in vivo

Developing adipose tissue-engineered construct to mend soft tissue defects arising from traumatic injury, tumor resections, and maxillofacial abnormalities is of prime importance in plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures. It is apparent that the clinical outcome of classic techniques like adipose tissue transplantation is unpredictable, with graft resorption, lack of vascularization, and impaired functionality. In this prospective, the concept of tissue engineering was adopted to fabricate a combination product with biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) and rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) toward the development of an adipose tissue construct. BCP, a combination of hydroxyapatite and α-tricalcium phosphate, was characterized for its physiochemical properties, and ASCs were characterized for their stemness. The cell-ceramic interactions were demonstrated in vitro, whereas adipogenesis was picturesquely depicted by Nile red-stained multilocular adipocyte-like cells. Subsequently, the three-dimensional cell-ceramic-engineered construct was implanted in the rat dorsal muscle for a period of 3 weeks to demonstrate the efficacy of the tissue construct in vivo. Interestingly, the histology of the postimplanted tissue construct revealed the distribution of chicken wire net-like fat cells within the vicinity of the construct. The efficacy of cell transplantation via the scaffold was traced using fluorescent in situ hybridization by labeling the Y chromosome. Thus, the ceramic-based construct may be a good option for reconstruction therapies.