Experimental study of injectable bone for regeneration using mesenchymal stem cells, fibrin glue, and a biodegradable scaffold

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a combination of fibrin glue, biodegradable scaffold (β-tricalcium phosphate;β-TCP), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) would promote new bone formation and provide three-dimensional templates for bone growth at heterotopic sites in rats with plasticity. Growing MSCs and developing matrices, explanted from the rat femur, were minced and mixed with fibrin glue in a syringe. The MSCs/fibrin glue-β-TCP complex was injected into the subcutaneous space of the back of the rat. Eight weeks after implantation, macroscopic examination revealed a pearly opalescence that was firm on palpation. Histologic investigations showed newly formed bone structures in all rats treated with the MSCs/fibrin glue-β-TCP complex. No bone structures were found in the fibrin glue or β-TCP control groups. Our results demonstrate that injectable MSCs/fibrin glue-β-TCP complex can provide a three-dimensional scaffold for the successful transplantation and engraftment of osteoblasts. This technique holds promise of becoming a minimally invasive means of delivering autogenous bone to correct or repair bone defects such as those associated with osteoprotic fractures, paradontosis, and tumor resection.