Affiliations: Department for Cranio- and Maxillofacial Surgery, Westfälische-Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany | Department for Cranio- and Maxillofacial Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany | Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Städtische Kliniken Neuss Lukaskrankenhaus, Neuss, Germany | Department for Operative and Preventive Dentistry and Endodontics, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. habil. Jörg Handschel, Department for Cranio- and Maxillofacial Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5 (Geb. 18.73), D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. Tel.: +49 211 8118181; Fax: +49 211 8119172; E-mail: handschel@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
Abstract: Background: Surgery often leads to massive destruction of the skeleton. Cell-based bone reconstruction therapies promise new therapeutic opportunities for the repair of bone. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be differentiated into osteogenic cells and are a potential cell source for bone tissue engineering. The purpose of this in vivo study was to investigate the bone formation in various constructs containing ESCs (with and without micromass technology) and insoluble collagenous bone matrix (ICBM). Methods: Murine ESCs were cultured as monolayer cultures as well as micromasses and seeded on ICBM. These constructs were implanted in immunodeficient rats. After one week, one, two and three months CT-scans were performed to detect any calcifications and the rats were sacrificed. Results: The radiological examination shows a steep increase of the mineralized tissue in group 1 (ICBM+seeded ESC). This increase can be considered as statistical significant. In contrast, the volume of the mineralization in group 2 (ICBM+ESC-spheres) and group 3 (ESC-spheres) does not increase significantly during the study. Conclusion: ESCs in combination with ICBM do promote ectopic bone formation in vivo. Thus, this cell population as well as the biomaterial ICBM might be promising components for bone tissue engineering.
Keywords: Embryonic stem cells, bone tissue engineering, ectopic bone formation, bone regeneration
