PEG-PDMS-BMP-2 hydrogels for directed osteogenic differentiation of MSCs from alternative sources

The goal of this study was to explore the differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells derived from synovium tissue (Sy-MSCs) for bone tissue engineering. Scaffolds based on poly(ethylene)glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) have been shown to be osteoinductive and osteoconductive. In this study, mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and synovium tissue were encapsulated in PEG-PDMS hybrid hydrogels for directed osteogenic differentiation. Bone morphogenic factor (BMP-2) was added to these scaffolds in order to augment their osteogenic potential. After 3 weeks of culture, markers for osteogenic differentiation were found to be upregulated for scaffolds containing PDMS and BMP-2. Moreover, the response for Sy-MSCs was found to be comparable to that of bone marrow-derived MSCs.