Effects of Perfusion,Cyclic Compression and Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 on the Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Seeded on the Polyurethane Scaffolds

Introduction: The repair of bone defects remains a great challenge for orthopedic surgeons. Functional tissue engineering using human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs), in which the osteoconductive scaffolds play an important role, is considered a promising approach to treating these defects. We have reported that the polyurethane scaffolds can provide a favorable 3dimensional growing environment for hBMSCs [1], and in one of our previous studies, it was found that mechanical stimulation could significantly enhance the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, and perfusion improved their proliferation [2]. Moreover, it is well-known that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family members, such as BMP-2 and BMP-7, are capable of promoting the osteogenic commitment of hBMSCs [3]. The purpose of this study was to investigate the proliferation and differentiation of hBMSCs that were seeded on the polyurethane scaffolds (Actific®, Orteq, Groningen, The Netherlands) under the influence of continuous perfusion, cyclic compression and BMP-7 in a perfusion-mechanical bioreactor system that simulated the condition of human bone marrow (Fig. 1).