Bone graft substitutes (BGS) are widely used in clinical practice. For stem cellbased
approaches to bone tissue engineering BGS need to show sufficient
biocompatibility in the in vitro setting. This study was designed to demonstrate
the influence of six different BGS on the proliferation and metabolic activity of
porcine mesenchymal multilineage stem cells (pMSC) in vitro.
Bone-marrow derived pMSC were cultivated for 24 hours with the eluates of
six different BGS. The eluates were generated by incubating the BGS three
times in succession for 24 hours with a culture medium and collecting the
supernatants. pMSC vitality and proliferation in the presence of eluates from
the first, second, and third incubation were assessed by WST-test quantification
of metabolically active cells.
Culture of pMSC with eluates in all cases resulted in decreased cell numbers in
an eluate concentration-dependent manner. At least a 65% loss of cells compared
to controls (culture medium without eluates) could be observed in the
presence of undiluted eluates. The negative influence of eluates varied significantly
among BGS. In all cases, second and third eluates were less potent in
their negative effects on cellular vitality/proliferation.
In conclusion, the BGS examined here should be submitted to thorough preincubation
before in vitro use for cell-based constructs to maximize cell viability
for the tissue engineering of bone. (Folia Morphol 2011; 70, 3: 154–160