Periosteal Cells Derived from Long Bone are Unique from those Derived from Calvaria

Authors

• R Shainer
• V Kram
• TM Kilts
• CG Simon Jr
• MF Young

Abstract

The periosteum, a thin membrane surrounding bone, is a source of progenitor cells needed for bone formation, remodeling and repair. Periosteum-derived cells (PDCs) from the long bones (lbPDCs) have been recently studied for their stem cell properties but the differences between lbPDCs and PDCs from craniofacial bones or specifically from the calvaria (cPDCs) remains elusive. In this study, we isolated lbPDCs and cPDCs of adult mice and grew them in a novel 3D RAFT system to mimic the native environment of the cells. When cells were subjected to osteogenic differentiation in vitro, the differentiated lbPDCs, but not the differentiated cPDCs, formed cartilage structures that were incorporated into the matrix. RNAseq analysis showed that differentiated lbPDC made high levels of collagen type II, aggrecan and collagen type X, further confirming our notion that lbPDCs undergo chondrogenic differentiation under osteogenic conditions. When the 3D RAFT scaffold with PDCs were transplanted into mice, both differentiated cPDCs and lbPDCs created mineralized ossicles post implantation but lbPDC transplants had a greater increase in total bone volume, which we suspect is calcified cartilage. In summary, we show that PDCs from long bones but not from calvaria, cultivated in a 3D system create a distinct microenvironment that favors cartilage formation. Considering that long bones are formed via endochondral ossification while calvaria is not, our data suggest that PDCs retain a “memory” of their tissue origin a feature that could be capitalized for future applications in their use in skeletal tissue regeneration.

Scientific Focus Area: Stem Cell Biology

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