Experimental study of injectable GelMA hydrogel loaded with CD271 and PDGF in bone defect repair

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of an injectable gelatin methacrylamide (GelMA) hydrogel scaffold loaded with CD271 and PDGF in the repair of skull defects in SD rats.

MethodsThe GelMA/PDGF scaffold was jointly constructed by using a 5% GelMA hydrogel and PDGF, and then the scaffold was modified with the CD271 antibody.The experiments were divided into four groups: GelMA, GelMA/PDGF, GelMA/CD271, and GelMA/PDGF/CD271.The biocompatibility of the cells and the expression of osteogenic-related proteins were examined by co-culturing hydrogel scaffolds with male SD rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in vitro.The skull defect model was established in SD male rats weighing about 350 g and implanted with hydrogel scaffolds.Micro-CT of the rat skull was performed at 8 weeks after surgery to assess repair efficacy.

ResultsBMSCs and GelMA hydrogel scaffold loaded with CD271 and PDGF had good biocompatibility, could upregulate the expression of osteogenic-related proteins (alkaline phosphatase, collagen Ⅰ, osteocalcin, and osteopontin), and promoted the repair of cranial defects in vivo.

ConclusionsMixed hydrogel scaffold loading CD271 and PDGF has good biocompatibility and promotes the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and has great application potential in bone tissue engineering.