Enhancement of a culture of human osteoblasts inside hydroxyapatite scaffolds via [2 mT; 75 Hz]-electromagnetic bioreactor

Biomaterials have been widely used in reconstructive bone surgery to heal critical-size long bone defects due to trauma, tumor resection, and tissue degeneration. In particular, porous hydroxyapatite is commonly employed owing to its biocompatibility; in addition , the in vitro modification of hydroxyapatite with osteogenic signals enhances the tissue regeneration in vivo, suggesting that the biomaterial modification could play an important role in tissue engineering . In this study we have followed a biomimetic strategy where electromagnetically stimulated SAOS -2 human osteoblasts proliferated and built their extracellular matrix inside porous hydroxyapatite. In comparison with control conditions , the electromagnetic stimulus (magnetic field , 2 mT; frequency , 75 Hz) increased , in vitro, the cell proliferation and the coating of hydroxyapatite with bone proteins (decorin, osteocalcin, osteopontin, type-I collagen, and type-III collagen). The physical stimulus aimed at obtaining a better in vitro modification of porous hydroxyapatite in terms of cell colonization and coating with osteogenic signals , like bone matrix proteins . The modified biomaterial could be used, in clinical applications, as an implant for bone repair.