Autogenous injectable bone for regeneration with mesenchymal stem cells and platelet-rich plasma: Tissue-engineered bone regeneration

We have attempted to regenerate bone in a significant osseous defect with minimal invasiveness and good plasticity, and to provide a clinical alternative to autogenous bone grafts. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may enhance the formation of new bone and is nontoxic, nonimmunoreactive, and accelerates existing wound-healing pathways. We have used a combination of PRP as an autologous scaffold with in vitro-expanded mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to increase osteogenesis, compared with using the scaffold alone or autogenous particulate cancellous bone and marrow (PCBM). The newly formed bones were evaluated by radiography, histology, and histomorphometric analysis in the defects at 2, 4, and 8 weeks. According to the histological observations, the dog MSCs (dMSCs)/PRP group had well-formed mature bone and neovascularization compared with the control ( defect only), PRP, and PCBM groups at 2 and 4 weeks. Histometrically, at 8 weeks newly formed bone areas were 18.3 +/- 4.84% ( control), 29.2 +/- 5.47% ( PRP), 61.4 +/- 3.38% ( PCBM), and 67.3 +/- 2.06% (dMSCs/PRP). There were significant differences between the PCBM, dMSCs/PRP, and control groups. These results demonstrate that the dMSCs/PRP mixture is useful as a osteogenic bone substitute.