Osteoblastic mesenchymal stem cell sheet combined with Choukroun platelet-rich fibrin induces bone formation at an ectopic site

AimsTo analyze the effects of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro and investigate in vivo bone formation by MSC sheets with PRF. Materials and MethodsCell proliferation and expression of osteogenesis-related genes within MSC sheets were assessed upon exposure to PRF from the same donors. We then injected MSC sheet fragments with or without PRF subcutaneously in nude mice and assessed bone formation by micro-computed tomography and histological analyses. ResultsPRF significantly stimulated MSC proliferation and osteogenesis in vitro. MSC sheets injected with or without PRF formed new bone, but those with PRF produced significantly more and denser bone. ConclusionsMSC sheets can be used to generate tissue engineered bone upon injection, and PRF increases the osteogenic capacity of MSC sheets in vitro and in vivo. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 103B: 1204-1216, 2015.