Skeletal Stem Cells: Phenotype, Biology and Environmental Niches Informing Bone Tissue Regeneration
Richard O C Oreffo
Bone and Joint Research Group, Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, Institute of Developmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; www.skeletalstemcells.org
Abstract
Human bone marrow stromal stem cells or skeletal stem cells are multipotent progenitor cells with the ability to generate stromal lineages including cartilage, bone, fat and connective tissue. These primitive progenitors exist postnatally and exhibit stem cell characteristics, namely low incidence and extensive renewal potential. Given the demographic challenge of an ageing population, the development of strategies to exploit the potential of these stem cells, to augment bone formation to replace or restore the function of traumatized or degenerated bone is a major clinical and socio-economic need. Thus tissue engineering strategies have sought to repair skeletal defects resulting from trauma and disease with the application of cells, typically isolated from the patients themselves, in combination with porous biomaterials or scaffolds.
Our work is centered on isolation, expansion and translational studies of skeletal populations, including enriched skeletal stem cell populations for skeletal repair using biomimetic scaffolds together with judicious selection of osteotropic growth factors to generate appropriate skeletal tissue constructs. A number of areas of work will be reviewed using data from the group including: i) innovative isolation strategies for of fetal and adult skeletal populations, ii) derivation of niche environments in an attempt to modulate the osteogenic and angiogenic repair process and iii) translational studies to examine the efficacy of skeletal populations using impaction bone grafting as an exemplar. The development of protocols, tools and multidisciplinary approaches that use skeletal stem cells for de novo skeletal tissue formation offer exciting opportunities to improve the quality of life of many in an increasing ageing population.