Biphasic calcium sulfate dihydrate/iron-modified alpha-tricalcium phosphate bone cement for spinal applications: in vitro study.

In this study, the cytocompatibility of new 'iron-modified/alpha-tricalcium phosphate (IM/alpha-TCP) and calcium sulfate dihydrate (CSD)' bone cement (IM/alpha-TCP/CSD-BC) intended for spinal applications has been approached. The objective was to investigate by direct-contact osteoblast-like cell cultures (from 1 to 14 days) the in vitro cell adhesion, proliferation, morphology and cytoskeleton organization of MG-63 cells seeded onto the new cements. The results were as follows: (a) quantitative MTT-assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that cell adhesion, proliferation and viability were not affected with time by the presence of iron in the cements; (b) double immunofluorescent labeling of F-actin and alpha-tubulin showed a dynamic interaction between the cell and its porous substrates sustaining the locomotion phenomenon on the cements' surface, which favored the colonization, and confirming the biocompatibility of the experimental cements; (c) SEM-cell morphology and cytoskeleton observations also evidenced that MG-63 cells were able to adhere, to spread and to attain normal morphology on the new IM/alpha-TCP/CSD-BC which offered favorable substratum properties for osteoblast-like cells proliferation and differentiation in vitro. The results showed that these new iron-modified cement-like biomaterials have cytocompatible features of interest not only as possible spinal cancellous bone replacement biomaterial but also as bone tissue engineering scaffolds.