Autologous stromal vascular fraction-loaded hyaluronic acid/gelatin-biphasic calcium phosphate scaffold for bone tissue regeneration

Bone defect augmentation with synthetic materials is crucial due to the unavoidable limitations of auto- and allografting. Although there are different promising synthetic materials for filling bone defects, the functionalization of these materials with cells is still challenging due to the lack of ideal cell sources. Here, we used stromal vascular fraction (SVF) heterogeneous cells that could be obtained from autologous adipose tissue to functionalize hyaluronic acid/gelatin-biphasic calcium phosphate (HyA-Gel/BCP) scaffolds for bone regeneration. The SVF cells were isolated, and the cellular composition and osteogenic differentiation potential were analyzed. Then, they were cultured on HyA-Gel/BCP scaffolds for in vitro characterization. An In vivo evaluation of the autologous SVF-loaded HyA-Gel/BCP scaffolds was performed using a rat skull critical-size defect model. The results showed that the SVF was successfully isolated and contained different types of cells, including mesenchymal stem like-cells with osteogenic differentiation ability. Also, the SVF cells could be cultured and expanded on the HyA-Gel/BCP scaffolds without affecting their viability. In vivo implantation of autologous SVF-loaded HyA-Gel/BCP scaffolds showed excellent bone regeneration compared to unloaded HyA-Gel/BCP scaffolds. Thus, autologous SVF-loaded HyA-Gel/BCP scaffolds could be a promising transplantable bone grafting material for bone tissue engineering.