Of cells and surfaces for bone tissue engineering

New biomaterials are being developed to meet the bone healing needs of patients. When these biomaterials encounter cells in the tissues within the body, their physico-chemical properties (namely their chemical composition and structural properties) will impact the way cells behave and consequently influence the materials’ therapeutical capacity. It is known that stem cells can commit to specific lineages depending on the physico-chemical properties of these biomaterials. However, this cross-talk between cells and materials needs to be understood and the contributing signals unraveled. The work described in this thesis tackles the interaction between stem cells and materials that are commonly used for bone regeneration. A subclass of calcium phosphate ceramics, which are some of those materials, can per se trigger the commitment of stem cells to become bone forming cells. In this thesis it is been shown that calcium ions released from the material, might possibly but not exclusively, be involved in the cascade of pro-osteogenic signals released by the material that influences the cells. Also such calcium phosphate ceramics can now be investigated in in vivo mouse models. This work has led to the identification of a mouse strain among 11, whose mice are susceptible to form bone upon implantation of these materials under their skin. A notable contribution to the field, as scientists have now more research possibilities than before, bringing them one step closer to understanding how these ceramics trigger bone formation. Tough rather fundamental, Barradas’ work can contribute to a more rational design of biomaterials for bone regeneration