2018 Volume 16 Issue 1 Pages 3-12
A specific population of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) is expected to be an alternate source of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). To accelerate their osteogenic differentiation, we overexpressed the osteogenic transcription factor Cbfa1 (Core binding factor alpha-1, Til-1) gene using an adenovirus vector in rat ASCs. The results revealed that the osteoblastic markers, such as ALP activity, the osteocalcin expression, and calcium content, in Cbfa1-overexpressing ASCs were markedly greater than those of control ASCs. Moreover, we transplanted Cbfa1-overexpressing ASCs/porous materials into subcutaneous sites in Fisher rats. The bone formation was markedly increased by the overexpression, compared to the control which partially dedifferentiated into adipocytes by 8 weeks after implantation. These findings suggested that overexpression of the Cbfa1 gene induced a remarkable and rapid differentiation of ASCs into osteogenic cells. In vitro and in vivo results implied that Cbfa1-overexpressing ASCs may be an alternative cell source for BMSCs for bone tissue engineering.
