Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cells on A 3D Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate-Alginate-Gelatin Scaffold

Objective: Finding cell sources for cartilage tissue engineering is a critical procedure. The purpose of the present experimental study was to test the in vitro efficacy of the beta-tricalcium phosphate-alginate-gelatin (BTAG) scaffold to induce chondrogenic differentiation of human umbilical cord blood-derived unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSCs). Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, USSCs were encapsulated in BTAG scaffold and cultured for 3 weeks in chondrogenic medium as chondrogenic group and in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM) as control group. Chondrogenic differentiation was evaluated by histology, immunofluorescence and RNA analyses for the expression of cartilage extracellular matrix components. The obtain data were analyzed using SPSS version 15. Results: Histological and immunohistochemical staining revealed that collagen II was markedly expressed in the extracellular matrix of the seeded cells on scaffold in presence of chondrogenic media after 21 days. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed a significant increase in expression levels of genes encoded the cartilage-specific markers, aggrecan, type I and II collagen, and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-6 in chondrogenic group. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that BTAG can be considered as a suitable scaffold for encapsulation and chondrogenesis of USSCs.