Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Technology, Cell & Tissue Engineering, Cell Biology, Engineering, Biomedical, Materials Science, Biomaterials, Engineering, Materials Science, BONE-MINERAL DENSITY, IGF-I, STEM-CELLS, OSTEOGENIC DIFFERENTIATION, LOCAL APPLICATION, GENE-EXPRESSION, OVEREXPRESSION, OSTEOBLASTS, ACTIVATION, MICE, Cell Differentiation, Cell Proliferation, Cells, Cultured, Humans, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Microscopy, Electrochemical, Scanning, 0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 0903 Biomedical Engineering, 0912 Materials Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, 4003 Biomedical engineering

Abstract:

Human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) offer great potential for bone tissue engineering applications, but their in vivo performance remains limited. Preconditioning of these cells with small molecules to improve their differentiation before implantation, or incorporation of growth factors are possible solutions. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is one of the most abundant growth factors in bone, involved in growth, development, and metabolism, but its effects on hMSCs are still subject of debate. Here we examined the effects of IGF-1 on proliferation and differentiation of hMSCs in vitro and we found that serum abolished the effects of IGF-1. Only in the absence of serum, IGF-1 increased proliferation, alkaline phosphatase expression, and osteogenic gene expression of hMSCs. Furthermore, we examined synergistic effects of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and IGF-1 and, although IGF-1 enhanced BMP-2-induced mineralization, IGF-1 only slightly affected in vivo bone formation.