ENGINEERING OF FUNCTIONAL ENDOCHONDRAL BONE AND HAEMATOPOIETIC MICROENVIRONMENT WITH HUMAN ADULT MESENCHYMAL STROMAL CELLS

Summary StatementThis study reports that hMSC can be manipulated in order to engineer a bone organ, characterised by mature osseous and vascular components and capable to recruit, host and maintain functional HSCs.IntroductionBone tissue engineering strategies are typically based on methods involving adult human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (hMSC) in a process resembling intramembranous ossification. However, most bones develop and repair through endochondral ossification. In addition, endochondral ossification presents several advantages for regenerative purposes such as osteogenic activity, capability to drive formation of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC) niche, resistance to hypoxia, intrinsic vasculogenic potential and, consequently, efficiency of engraftment. In this study, we aimed at developing an endochondral bone organ model characterised by functional osseous and hematopoietic compartments by using hMSC.Materials & MethodsExpanded hMSC were seeded onto 8 mm diameter, 2 mm thick collagen sponges (U...