The influence of osteoblast differentiation stage on bone formation in autogenously implanted cell-based poly(lactide-co-glycolide) and calcium phosphate constructs.

We tested the hypothesis that the osteoblast differentiation status of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) combined with a three-dimensional (3D) structure modulates bone formation when autogenously implanted. Rat BMSCs were aspirated, expanded, and seeded into a 3D composite of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) and calcium phosphate (PLGA/CaP) to produce a hybrid biomaterial. Calvarial defects were implanted with (1) scaffold without cells (SC/NC), (2) scaffold and BMSCs (SC+BMSC), (3) scaffold and osteoblasts differentiated for 7 days (SC+OB7), and (4) for 14 days (SC+OB14). After 4 weeks, there was more bone formation in groups combining scaffold and cells, SC+BMSC and SC+OB7. A nonsignificant higher amount of bone formation was observed on SC+OB14 compared with SC/NC. Additionally, more blood vessels were counted within all hybrid biomaterials, without differences among them, than into SC/NC. These findings provide evidences that the cell differentiation status affects in vivo bone formation in autogenously implanted cell-based constructs. Undifferentiated BMSCs or osteoblasts in early stage of differentiation combined with PLGA/CaP scaffold favored bone formation compared with plain scaffold and that one associated with more mature osteoblasts.