title: Improving vascularization of engineered bone through the generation of pro-angiogenic effects in co-culture systems.
abstract: One of the major problems with bone tissue engineering is the development of a rapid vascularization after implantation to supply the growing osteoblast cells with the nutrients to grow and survive as well as to remove waste products. It has been demonstrated that capillary-like structures produced in vitro will anastomose rapidly after implantation and become functioning blood vessels. For this reason, in recent years many studies have examined a variety of human osteoblast and endothelial cell co-culture systems in order to distribute osteoblasts on all parts of the bone scaffold and at the same time provide conditions for the endothelial cells to migrate to form a network of capillary-like structures throughout the osteoblast-colonized scaffold. The movement and proliferation of endothelial cells to form capillary-like structures is known as angiogenesis and is dependent on a variety of pro-angiogenic factors. This review summarizes human 2- and 3-D co-culture models to date, the types and origins of cells used in the co-cultures and the proangiogenic factors that have been identified in the co-culture models.
authors.affiliation: REPAIR-Lab, Institute of Pathology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany. Electronic address: runger@uni-mainz.de.
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.affiliation: REPAIR-Lab, Institute of Pathology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dohle
authors.affiliation: REPAIR-Lab, Institute of Pathology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: C James
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D066026:Endothelial Progenitor Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
keywords: Angiogenesis; Bone tissue engineering; Co-cultures; Endothelial cells; Osteoblasts; Pro-angiogenic factors; Vascularization