title: In vitro and in vivo osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties of a synthetic bone substitute.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study tested a recently introduced bone substitute material (BSM) with a novel structure to determine its osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties in vitro and in vivo. The specific aims were to determine the microstructure of the as-manufactured BSM, as analyzed with scanning electron microscopy, and to characterize different cellular interactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human bone marrow stromal cells were cultured in the presence of the BSM. In vitro, attachment of osteoblastlike cells (SAOS-2) to the BSM was observed with the scanning electron microscope. The expression of genes related to osteogenic differentiation (alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein, type I collagen, and osteocalcin) was determined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. In vivo, bone formation was examined with a murine model of ectopic bone formation through histology and computed tomographic scanning by using tissue-engineered constructs with the BSM and ovine bone marrow stromal cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early cellular attachment could be detected as early as 6 hours. Cellular morphology developed in the following 66 hours toward a starlike appearance. Human bone marrow stromal cells cultured in the presence of the BSM showed no reduction in their viability. Osteocalcin was up-regulated during cell culturing, demonstrating an osteoinductive effect of BSM. Histologic and computed tomographic analyses showed the formation of new bone surrounding BSM particles, and a vascular meshwork was observed in the porosity of the particles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analyzed bone substitute of synthetic origin presented osteoinductive properties that may exert a differentiative stimulus upon osteoprogenitor cells. The tested material allowed cellular adhesion of osteoblastlike cells and, following tissue construct implantation in vivo, supported the formation of new bone.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Conserva
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Foschi
authors.forename: Ranieri
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cancedda
authors.forename: Maddalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mastrogiacomo
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D058574:Integrin-Binding Sialoprotein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000502:physiology; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016062:Porosity; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012756:Sheep; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D024042:Collagen Type I; D058574:Integrin-Binding Sialoprotein; D015675:Osteocalcin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase