Zufu Lu

The influence hydroxyapatite nanoparticle shape and size on the properties of biphasic calcium phosphate scaffolds coated with hydroxyapatite-PCL composites.

We developed a composite biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) scaffold by coating a nanocomposite layer, consisting of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles and polycaprolactone (PCL), over the surface of BCP. The effects of HA particle size and shape in the coating layer on the mechanical and biological properties of the BCP scaffold were examined. Micro-computerized tomography studies showed that the prepared scaffolds were highly porous (approximately 91%) with large pore size (400-700 microm) and an interconnected porous network of approximately 100%. The HA nanoparticle (needle shape)-composite coated scaffolds displayed the highest compressive strength (2.1 +/- 0.17 MPa), compared to pure HA/beta-TCP (0.1 +/- 0.05 MPa) and to the micron HA - composite coated scaffolds (0.29 +/- 0.07 MPa). These needle shaped scaffolds also showed enhanced elasticity and similar stress-strain profile to natural bone. Needle shaped coated HA/PCL particles induced the differentiation of primary human bone derived cells, with significant upregulation of osteogenic gene expression (Runx2, collagen type I, osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein) and alkaline phosphatase activity compared to other groups. These properties are essential for enhancing bone ingrowth in load-bearing applications. The developed composite scaffolds possessed superior physical, mechanical, elastic and biological properties rendering them potentially useful for bone tissue regeneration.

The incorporation of strontium and zinc into a calcium-silicon ceramic for bone tissue engineering.

In this study we developed novel scaffolds through the controlled substitution and incorporation of strontium and zinc into a calcium-silicon system to form Sr-Hardystonite (Sr-Ca(2)ZnSi(2)O(7), Sr-HT). The physical and biological properties of Sr-HT were compared to Hardystonite (Ca(2)ZnSi(2)O(7)) [HT]. We showed that Sr-HT scaffolds are porous with interconnected porous network (interconnectivity: 99%) and large pore size (300-500 microm) and an overall porosity of 78%, combined with a relatively high compressive strength (2.16+/-0.52 MPa). These properties are essential for enhancing bone ingrowth in load-bearing applications. Sr-HT ceramic scaffolds induced the attachment and differentiation of human bone derived cells (HOB), compared to that for the HT scaffolds. Sr-HT scaffolds enhanced expression of alkaline phosphatase, Runx-2, osteopontin, osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein. The in vivo osteoconductivity of the scaffolds was assessed at 3 and 6 weeks following implantation in tibial bone defects in rats. Histological staining revealed rapid new growth of bone into the pores of the 3D scaffolds with the Sr-HT and HT, relative to the beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP). In vivo, HT and Sr-HT produced distinct differences in the patterns of degradation of the materials, and their association with TRAP positive osteoclast-like cells with HT appearing more resistant compared to both Sr-HT and beta-TCP.

Effects of bioactive glass nanoparticles on the mechanical and biological behavior of composite coated scaffolds.

Biphasic calcium phosphates (BCP) scaffolds are widely used for bone tissue regeneration. However, brittleness, low mechanical properties and compromised bioactivities are, at present, their major disadvantages. In this study we coated the struts of a BCP scaffold with a nanocomposite layer consisting of bioactive glass nanoparticles (nBG) and polycaprolactone (PCL) (BCP/PCL-nBG) to enhance its mechanical and biological behavior. The effect of various nBG concentrations (1-90 wt.%) on the mechanical properties and in vitro behavior of the scaffolds was comprehensively examined and compared with that for a BCP scaffold coated with PCL and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHA) (BCP/PCL-nHA) and a BCP scaffold coated with only a PCL layer (BCP/PCL). Introduction of 1-90 wt.% nBG resulted in scaffolds with compressive strengths in the range 0.2-1.45 MPa and moduli in the range 19.3-49.4 MPa. This trend was also observed for BCP/PCL-nHA scaffolds, however, nBG induced even better bioactivity and a faster degradation rate. The maximum compressive strength (increased ∼14 times) and modulus (increased ∼3 times) were achieved when 30 wt.% nBG was added, compared with BCP scaffolds. Moreover, BCP/PCL-nBG scaffolds induced the differentiation of primary human bone-derived cells (HOBs), with significant up-regulation of osteogenic gene expression for Runx2, osteopontin and bone sialoprotein, compared with the other groups.

Adipose stem cells for intervertebral disc regeneration: current status and concepts for the future

•  Introduction •  Degenerative disc disease and emerging biological treatment approaches •  Stem cell sources •  Integration of ASC‐based regenerative medicine and surgery •  In vitro studies ‐  Animal models ‐  Cells in disc regeneration in vivo •  In vivo studies •  Perspective •  Conclusions

Bone biomimetic microenvironment induces osteogenic differentiation of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

UNLABELLED A critical strategy for tissue engineering is to provide the signals necessary for tissue regeneration by mimicking the tissue microenvironment. In this study, we mimicked (1) the bone chemical and the physical microenvironment by fabricating a three-dimensional nanocomposite scaffold composed of biphasic calcium phosphates (BCP) coated with a nanocomposite layer of polycaprolactone (PCL) and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHA) (BCP/PCL-nHA)), and (2) the bones biological microenvironment by co-culturing with primary human osteoblasts (HOBs), and then investigated their effects on osteogenic differentiation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs). In comparison with the ASCs cultured alone on BCP scaffolds that were coated only with PCL, early osteogenic differentiation of ASCs was induced by either seeding ASCs on BCP/PCL-nHA scaffolds or by co-culturing with HOBs; the combination of BCP/PCL-nHA scaffold and HOBs resulted in the synergistic enhancement of osteogenic gene expression. Moreover, we found that BCP/PCL-nHA scaffolds induced early osteogenic differentiation of ASCs through integrin-α2 and an extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR The authors mimicked the physico-chemical environment of bone by fabricating a nanocomposite scaffold, and then co-cultured it with human osteoblasts. Demonstrated enhancement of osteogenic gene expression and early osteogenic differentiation of adipose tissue derived stem cells were found using this approach.

Effect of self-assembled nanofibrous silk/polycaprolactone layer on the osteoconductivity and mechanical properties of biphasic calcium phosphate scaffolds

We here present the first successful report on combining nanostructured silk and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with a ceramic scaffold to produce a composite scaffold that is highly porous (porosity ∼85%, pore size ∼500 μm, ∼100% interconnectivity), strong and non-brittle with a surface that resembles extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM-like surface was developed by self-assembly of nanofibrous structured silk (20-80 nm diameter, similar to native collagen found in ECM) over a thin PCL layer which is coated on biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) scaffolds. The effects of different concentrations of silk solution on the mechanical and physical properties of the scaffolds were also comprehensively examined. Our results showed that using silk only (irrespective of concentration) for the modification of ceramic scaffolds could drastically reduce the compressive strength of the modified scaffolds in aqueous media, and the modification made a limited contribution to improving scaffold toughness. Using PCL/nanostructured silk the compressive strength and modulus of the modified scaffolds reached 0.42 MPa (compared with 0.07 MPa for BCP) and ∼25 MPa (compared with 5 MPa for BCP), respectively. The failure strain of the modified scaffold increased more than 6% compared with a BCP scaffold (failure strain of less than 1%), indicating a transformation from brittle to elastic behavior. The cytocompatibility of ECM-like composite scaffolds was investigated by studying the attachment, morphology, proliferation and bone-related gene expression of primary human bone-derived cells. Cells cultured on the developed scaffolds for 7 days had significant up-regulation of cell proliferation (∼1.6-fold higher, P<0.001) and osteogenic gene expression levels (collagen type I, osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein) compared with the other groups tested.

Influence of collagen type II and nucleus pulposus cells on aggregation and differentiation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells

Tissue microenvironment plays a critical role in guiding local stem cell differentiation. Within the intervertebral disc, collagen type II and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells are two major components. This study aimed to investigate how collagen type II and NP cells affect adipose tissue‐derived stem cells (ASCs) in a 3D environment. ASCs were cultured in collagen type I or type II hydrogels alone, or co‐cultured in transwells with micromass NP cells for 4 and 14 days. ASCs seeded in collagen type II gels acquired dentritic cell shapes, and orchestrated cell density‐dependent gel contraction rates. Up‐regulation of collagen type X, but not of other chondrogenic markers was observed at day 4, irrespective of the hydrogel type. Strikingly, in co‐cultures with NP cells, more pronounced differentiation of ASCs along the cartilaginous lineage was observed (up‐regulation of collagen IIA, IIB and aggrecan gene expression, as well as stronger alcian blue staining), when ASCs were embedded in collagen type II in comparison with type I hydrogels. Interestingly, strong cellular condensations/aggregations were observed in ASC‐seeded type II, but not type I gels, and this aggregation was markedly delayed when the same gels were co‐cultured with NP cells. The NP cell‐mediated inhibition of ASC aggregation in collagen type II gels coincided with down‐regulation of integrin subunit α2 gene expression. We conclude that soluble factors released by NP cells can direct chondrogenic differentiation of ASCs in collagen hydrogels, and that combination with a nucleus‐mimicking collagen type II microenvironment enhances differentiation towards a more pronounced cartilage/NP lineage relative to collagen type I hydrogels.

Short-Term Exposure to Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Enables Human Osteoblasts to Direct Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Osteogenic Differentiation

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is one major inflammatory factor peaking at 24 h after bone fracture in response to injury; its role in bone healing is controversial. The aims of this study were to investigate whether the duration of exposure to TNF-α is crucial for the initiation of bone regeneration and to determine its underlying mechanism(s). We demonstrated that 24 h of TNF-α treatment significantly abrogated osteocalcin gene expression by human primary osteoblasts (HOBs). However, when TNF-α was withdrawn after 24 h, bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin gene expression levels in HOBs at day 7 were significantly up-regulated compared with the HOBs without TNF-α treatment. In contrast, continuous TNF-α treatment down-regulated bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin gene expression. In addition, in an indirect co-culture system, HOBs pretreated with TNF-α for 24 h induced significantly greater osteogenic differentiation of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) than the HOBs without TNF-α treatment. TNF-α treatment also promoted endogenous bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) production in HOBs, while blocking the BMP-2 signaling pathway with Noggin inhibited osteogenic differentiation of ASCs in the co-culture system. Furthermore, activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway after TNF-α treatment occurred earlier than BMP-2 protein expression. BMP-2 production by HOBs and osteogenic differentiation of ASCs in the co-culture system with HOBs was significantly decreased when HOBs were pretreated with TNF-α in combination with the p38 MAPK-specific inhibitor (SB203580). Taken together, we provide evidence that exposure duration is a critical element in determining TNF-αs effects on bone regeneration. We also demonstrate that the p38 MAPK signaling pathway regulates the expression of BMP-2 in osteoblasts, which then acts through a paracrine loop, to direct the osteoblast lineage commitment of mesenchymal stem cells.

Beta-tricalcium phosphate exerts osteoconductivity through α2β1 integrin and down-stream MAPK/ERK signaling pathway

Beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) has been clinically used as a bone graft substitute for decades because of its excellent osteoconductivity. However, the exact mechanism(s) by which beta-TCP exerts osteoconductivity are not fully documented. This study was aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism(s) by which beta-TCP modulates the biological response of primary human osteoblasts (HOBs). It was showed that HOBs seeded into the beta-TCP scaffolds expressed significantly higher levels of osteogenic genes, compared to those cultured on tissue culture plastic; meanwhile these cells showed 7-fold increase in alpha2 integrin subunit gene expression and the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular related kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. In addition, the osteogenic conduction by beta-TCP scaffolds was attenuated directly by inhibiting MAPK/ERK or indirectly by blocking the alpha2beta1 integrin signaling pathway. We concluded that beta-TCP scaffold exerts osteoconductivity through alpha2beta1 integrin and down-stream MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, suggesting a feasible approach to consider when designing or fabricating the scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Activation and promotion of adipose stem cells by tumour necrosis factor‐alpha preconditioning for bone regeneration

There is a major medical need for developing novel and effective approaches for repairing non‐union and critical‐sized bone defects. Although the mechanisms remain to be determined, it is known that inflammation plays a crucial role in initiating bone repair and regeneration. This study investigated the effect of short‐term (3 days) preconditioning with tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) on proliferation, mobilization, and differentiation of adipose tissue‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs). We demonstrated that TNF‐α pre‐conditioning increased proliferation, mobilization, and osteogenic differentiation of ASCs and up‐regulated bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) protein level. BMP‐2 silencing by siRNA partially inhibited osteogenic differentiation of ASCs induced by TNF‐α; BMP‐2 pre‐conditioning also significantly increased osteogenic differentiation of ASCs but the effects were significantly smaller than those observed for TNF‐α preconditioning. Furthermore, TNF‐α treatment promoted extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinases(Erk)1/2 and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, but only Erk1/2 inhibition reduced the BMP‐2 levels and osteogenic differentiation induced by TNF‐α preconditioning. Together, these results support the hypothesis that inflammation contributes to bone regeneration by promoting proliferation, mobilization, and osteogenic differentiation of ASCs; 3 days of TNF‐α preconditioning, mimicking the short boost of inflammation normally occurring after bone injury, might serve as a feasible approach for directing stem cells into osteogenic differentiation. J. Cell. Physiol. 9999: XX–XX, 2013.