The design, construction and characterisation of new nanovibrational Bioreactors for Osteogenesis
Scientists are working to improve techniques for controlling stem cell commitment in regenerative medicine. In 2-D and 3-D culture, for example, mesenchymal (MSC) stem cells can be mechanically stimulated at the nanoscale to activate mechanotransduction pathway that will stimulate osteogenesis. This work could revolutionize bone-graft procedures, as it allows for the creation of graft materials from MSCs that are autologous or non-autologous without requiring any chemical inducement. Researchers and clinicians need a bioreactor that can be scaled up to produce reproducible results due to the growing biomedical interest. Paul Campsie, along with a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the departments of molecular, system and cell biology, biomedical engineering and computing, published a study on Scientific Reports that designed a bioreactor to meet existing requirements.
The new instrument included a vibrating plate for bioreactions that was calibrated and optimized to produce nanometer vibrations of 1 kHz. It also contained a power supply that generated vibrations with a 30nm amplitude, and six-well custom cultureware for cell proliferation. The cultureware included magnetic inserts that could be attached to the magnetic vibration plate of the bioreactor. After initial experiments in the system, they assessed osteogenic proteins expression to confirm differentiation of MSCs. Campsie et al. Campsie et al. The results showed that cell differentiation was the result of nano vibrational stimulations from the bioreactor.
The increasing number of skeletal injuries caused by age-related conditions like osteoarthritis and osteoporosis is a measure of the declining quality of life. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) have a high regenerative capacity. They are ideal for developing treatments to increase bone density or heal fractures. Researchers have shown controlled osteogenesis of MSCs through mechanical stimulation, using both passive and active methods. Active methods involve exposing the cells to varying forces. Passive methods alter the surface topography of the substrate to change the cell adhesion profiles.
Source:
https://phys.org/news/2019-09-characterization-nanovibrational-bioreactors-osteogenesis.html
