BoneKEy Reports | BoneKEy Watch
Cell therapy could encourage fracture healing
DOI:10.1038/bonekey.2013.154
Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) is one of many transcription factors that are expressed during fracture healing. In this study, Kang et al. transduced the gene encoding Runx2 into human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) using lentiviral vectors. The cells were also genetically modified to express a marker, either luciferase or green fluorescent protein, to enable the researchers to follow the activity of the hMSCs.
A mouse fracture model simulating a severe femoral fracture was used. Mice with an induced fracture were transplanted with either hMSCs with the lentiviral vector and luciferase marker gene, with mock-transduced hMSCs, or with MRC5 fibroblasts as controls. Fourteen days after transplantation, real-time PCR and bioluminescence imaging showed that the transduced hMSCs had migrated to the fracture site. Healing in the treated mice was superior to that in controls.
Editor’s comment: This paper used innovative and interesting methods to show that Runx2-transfected hMSCs can home in on the site of a bone fracture and contribute to bone formation more than negative controls. Although the study shows the potential of cell therapy, future studies will need to compare this type of treatment with currently available non-cell-based treatments such as bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) or BMP7.
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