Injectable gelatin microcarriers for osteogenic induction of mscs for bone regeneration

Statement of Purpose: Bone fractures that cause significant disruption of biomechanical cues and osteoprogenitor infiltration can result in delayed bone repair and non-union. Repair of such defects requires a potent, space-filling therapeutic intervention to replace the lost tissue and to promote regeneration of new bone tissue. Cell-based therapies have shown potential in healing these defects, but they often rely on large scaffolds that require invasive surgeries for implantation. We have developed a modular injectable scaffold comprised of space-filling, biodegradable gelatin microcarriers with osteoinductive properties. Such scaffolds can avoid invasive surgeries and enhance the effectiveness of cell-based therapies. In this study, we created gelatin microcarriers (GMC) through simple emulsification and characterized their physical and biochemical properties. Degradability and cytotoxicity of the microcarriers were also studied through enzymatic assay and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) culture studies, respectively. The long-term goal is to create a clinically applicable cell-based therapy that can accelerate healing of large and ischemic bone defects.