(62k) In Vitro Testing of Cellular Response On Bone Biomaterials

We are working to address a critical problem in the
orthopedic field by developing new, resorbable synthetic bone biomaterials that
can be used to more effectively repair problematic fractures by integrating
into host tissue and supporting tissue regeneration. The materials are
remodeled in vivo through the process of osteoclast-mediated resorption,
where osteoclasts migrate in from the host bone followed by osteoblasts which
subsequently form new bone that repairs the fracture. It follows that any
viable biomaterial must demonstrate favorable interactions with these cell
types. We are currently performing in vitro testing of various
allograft bone/polyurethane composite formulations to verify that they support
cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation of both osteoclast and
osteoblast cells of murine origin. Future work will be directed toward
developing a co-culture system to run tests with both cell types concurrently
and more accurately model the actual in-vivo environment. We anticipate
that such a capability would allow additional fine-tuning of the composite
biomaterial to be done during the in vitro testing phase, thereby saving
time and money later on during in vivo testing.