Bone tissue engineering using a combination of polymer/Bioglass

Translational research in bone tissue engineering is essential for ‘bench to bedside’ patient benefit. However, the idea combination of stem cells and biomaterial scaffolds for bone repair/regeneration is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the osteogenic capacity of a combination of poly(DL-lactic acid) (PDLLA) porous foams containing 5 and 40 wt% of Bioglass ® particles with human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in vitro and in vivo. Live/dead fluorescent markers, confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that PDLLA/Bioglass ® porous scaffolds supported ADSCs attachment, growth and osteogenic differentiation, which were confirmed by enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP). Higher Bioglass ® content of the PDLLA foams increased more ALP activity compared to PDLLA only group. Extracellular matrix deposition after 8 weeks in in vitro culture was evident by Alcian blue/Sirius red staining. In vivo bone formation was assessed using scaffold/ADSCs constructs in diffusion chambers transplanted intraperitoneally into nude mice and recovered after 8 weeks. Histological and immunohistochemical assays indicated significant new bone formation in the 40 wt% and 5 wt% Bioglass ® constructs compared to the PDLLA only group. This study indicated the combination of a well-developed biodegradable bioactive porous PDLLA/Bioglass ® composite scaffold with a high potential stem cells source – human ADSCs could be a promising approach for bone regeneration in clinical setting.