Evaluation of different scaffolds for BMP-2 genetic orthopedic tissue engineering.

To better understand the effects of scaffold materials for bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) genetic tissue engineering in vivo, several gels, including alginate, collagen, agarose, hyaluronate, fibrin, or Pluronic, were mixed with adenovirus-mediated human BMP-2 gene (Adv-hBMP-2) transduced bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and injected into the muscles of athymic mice to evaluate the resulting osteogenesis and chondrogenesis. These gel and gene-transduced BMSC mixtures were also loaded onto beta-TCP/HAP biphasic calcined bone (BCB) and observed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, these composite scaffolds were implanted into the subcutaneous site of athymic mice to construct tissue-engineered bone.