Directing Osteogenesis for Cell Self-Assembled Bone Tissue Engineering
Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Nathan Schiele, University of Idaho
Presentation Date
7-15-2026
Abstract
Musculoskeletal injuries are common and difficult to treat. A challenge for developing effective regenerative therapies is a limited understanding of how musculoskeletal tissues form and interact during development. To address this, there is a need for in vitro systems to model bone formation. Embryonic bone formation via endochondral ossification is characterized by progenitor cells that form a cohesive cartilage template and deposit collagen fibrils. These collagen fibrils are then mineralized. The goal of this project was to explore factors that control the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells for an in vitro developmentally inspired model of bone formation.
To mimic the processes of osteochondral bone formation, we explored directing condensation of mouse C3H/10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in custom scaffold-free culture wells. Here, cells formed direct cell-cell adhesions and self-assembled to form a cohesive 3D tissue (e.g., neobones). To induce osteogenesis, we treated the neobones with bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 and evaluated the impact of an osteogenic induction media (OIM). To determine osteogenesis, we are characterizing osteogenic markers. Future work will expand this platform to develop a multi-tissue cell self-assembly in vitro model that elucidates the regulators of musculoskeletal tissue formation to treat injuries.
Directing Osteogenesis for Cell Self-Assembled Bone Tissue Engineering
Musculoskeletal injuries are common and difficult to treat. A challenge for developing effective regenerative therapies is a limited understanding of how musculoskeletal tissues form and interact during development. To address this, there is a need for in vitro systems to model bone formation. Embryonic bone formation via endochondral ossification is characterized by progenitor cells that form a cohesive cartilage template and deposit collagen fibrils. These collagen fibrils are then mineralized. The goal of this project was to explore factors that control the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells for an in vitro developmentally inspired model of bone formation.
To mimic the processes of osteochondral bone formation, we explored directing condensation of mouse C3H/10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in custom scaffold-free culture wells. Here, cells formed direct cell-cell adhesions and self-assembled to form a cohesive 3D tissue (e.g., neobones). To induce osteogenesis, we treated the neobones with bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 and evaluated the impact of an osteogenic induction media (OIM). To determine osteogenesis, we are characterizing osteogenic markers. Future work will expand this platform to develop a multi-tissue cell self-assembly in vitro model that elucidates the regulators of musculoskeletal tissue formation to treat injuries.