The Effect of Interferon-γ and Zoledronate Treatment on Alpha-Tricalcium Phosphate/Collagen Sponge-Mediated Bone-Tissue Engineering

Inflammatory responses are frequently associated with the expression of inflammatory cytokines and severe osteoclastogenesis, which significantly affect the efficacy of biomaterials. Recent findings have suggested that interferon (IFN)- and zoledronate (Zol) are effective inhibitors of osteoclastogenesis. However, little is known regarding the utility of IFN- and Zol in bone tissue engineering. In this study, we generated rat models by generating critically sized defects in calvarias implanted with an alpha-tricalcium phosphate/collagen sponge (-TCP/CS). At four weeks post-implantation, the rats were divided into IFN-, Zol, and control (no treatment) groups. Compared with the control group, the IFN- and Zol groups showed remarkable attenuation of severe osteoclastogenesis, leading to a significant enhancement in bone mass. Histomorphometric data and mRNA expression patterns in IFN- and Zol-injected rats reflected high bone-turnover with increased bone formation, a reduction in osteoclast numbers, and tumor necrosis factor- expression. Our results demonstrated that the administration of IFN- and Zol enhanced bone regeneration of -TCP/CS implants by enhancing bone formation, while hampering excess bone resorption.