Assisted Bone Regrowth: Advanced Materials for Tissue Regeneration

Thursday, October 11, 2012 — Poster Session IV
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Natcher Conference Center, Building 45	NCI	STEMCELL-9

Authors

• G Yourek
• SE Perkins
• MJ Mitchell
• LM Alvarez

Abstract

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have clinical applications that rely upon their ability to repair damaged tissue caused by injury or disease. hMSCs often require active biomaterials such as scaffolds and matrices to facilitate growth in 3D. Tricalcium phosphate (TCP), an osteoconductive material, is routinely used in orthopedic procedures to promote bone healing in clinical applications. Thus, TCP is an ideal biomaterial to use in hMSC-assisted bone growth. Due to the complex pro-apoptotic environment of combat tissue trauma, there is a need for an orthopedic biomaterial with increased efficacy to promote the survival and proliferation of hMSCs. Growth factors are necessary for the proliferation and differentiation of hMSCs. A novel binding protein (TCPBP) was engineered via phage display for the tethering of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and heregulin (HRG), a member of the EGF family of proteins, to 3D TCP scaffolds. The purpose of this tethering is to increase the population of hMSCs and promote their survival. The HRG-TCPBP and EGF-TCPBP fusion proteins serve to deliver growth factors to hMSCs more effectively than soluble growth factors.

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