Aggregation of human osteoblasts unlocks self-reliant differentiation and constitutes a microenvironment for 3D-co-cultivation with other bone marrow cells.

Skeletal bone function relies on both cells and cellular niches, which, when combined, provide guiding cues for the control of differentiation and remodeling processes. Here, we propose an in vitro 3D model based on human fetal osteoblasts, which eases the study of osteocyte commitment in vitro and thus provides a means to examine the influences of biomaterials, substances or cells on the regulation of these processes. Aggregates were formed from human fetal osteoblasts (hFOB1.

A Poly-(ethylene glycol)-diacrylate 3D-Printed Micro-Bioreactor for Direct Cell Biological Implant-Testing on the Developing Chicken Chorioallantois Membrane.

Advancements in biomaterial manufacturing technologies calls for improved standards of fabrication and testing. Currently 3D-printable resins are being formulated which exhibit the potential to rapidly prototype biocompatible devices. For validation purposes, 3D-printed materials were subjected to a hierarchical validation onto the chorioallantoic membrane of the developing chicken, better known as the HET CAM assay.

Low-Cost Devices for Three-Dimensional Cell Aggregation, Real-Time Monitoring Microscopy, Microfluidic Immunostaining, and Deconvolution Analysis.

The wide use of 3D-organotypic cell models is imperative for advancing our understanding of basic cell biological mechanisms. For this purpose, easy-to-use enabling technology is required, which should optimally link standardized assessment methods to those used for the formation, cultivation, and evaluation of cell aggregates or primordial tissue. We thus conceived, manufactured, and tested devices which provide the means for cell aggregation and online monitoring within a hanging drop.

Kinship of conditionally immortalized cells derived from fetal bone to human bone-derived mesenchymal stroma cells.

The human fetal osteoblast cell line (hFOB 1.19) has been proposed as an accessible experimental model for study of osteoblast biology relating to drug development and biomaterial engineering. For their multilineage differentiation potential, hFOB has been compared to human mesenchymal progenitor cells and used to investigate bone-metabolism in vitro.

Osteocyte numbers decrease only in postcranial but not in cranial bones in humans of advanced age.

Background: Bone ageing is governed by the linked activities of short-lived osteoblasts and osteoclasts in conjunction with long-lived osteocytes present in osseous structure. Besides their maintenance function, osteogenic cells also gain specific positional information, which may potentially trigger ageing-associated cellular deviations in terminally differentiated osteocytes differently in cranial versus postcranial tissues.

Methods: We therefore investigated bone taken from deceased aged humans explanted at five distinct anatomical positions throughout the body and assessed physical and biological determinants applying radiologic and histologic measures.