In vitro interaction of human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells with biomimetic 3-D scaffold.

Study of cell-biomaterial interaction is a crucial aspect of bone tissue engineering to find a state-of-the-art functional substitute. In present study, the Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJ-MSCs) behavior on 3-D biomimetic nano-hydroxy apatite/ chitosan/gelatin (nHA/CS/Gel) scaffolds was investigated. The outcome was assessed by histological, biochemical and morphological tests. Results indicated that hWJ-MSCs attached onto the scaffold surface through membrane filopodia, uniformly spread throughout the contacting surface. It only took 3 days for the seeded cells to appear deep inside the scaffold, reflecting proper hWJ-MSCs adhesion and migration, evidenced by both scanning electron microscope (SEM) and hematoxilin and Eosin (H&E) assessments. Additionally, the present fabricated nHA/CS/Gel scaffold proved to be non-toxic as it supported cell proliferation measured by MTT. Moreover, 3-week culture of hWJ-MSCs on scaffolds, immersed in osteogenic medium, rendered the microenvironment in favor of hWJ-MSCs differentiation into osteoblast cells and extracellular matrix secretion. Finally, osteoblasts were immunologically positive for various osteogenic markers including osteocalcin, osteopontin, osteonectin, and alkaline phosphatase. Present findings indicate that nHA/CS/Gel scaffold appropriately harbored hWJ-MSCs, stimulating their growth, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. hWJ-MSCs- loaded nHA/CS/gel substitute may therefore be considered as a suitable platform for the rising demand in in vivo bone repair studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.