| Summary: | Bone tissue engineering with cell-scaffold constructs has been attracting a lot of attention, in particular as a tool for efficient guiding of new tissue formation. However, the majority of the current strategies used to evaluate novel biomaterials focus on osteoblasts and bone formation, while osteoclasts are often overlooked. Consequently, there is limited knowledge about the interaction between osteoclasts and biomaterials. In this study, the ability of gellan gum and hydroxyapatite reinforced gellan gum spongy-like hydrogels to support osteoclastogenesis was investigated in vitro. First, gellan gum and hydroxyapatite reinforced gellan gum spongy-like hydrogels were characterized in terms of microstructure, water uptake and mechanical properties. Then, bone marrow cells isolated from mice long bones and cultured in the spongy-like hydrogels were treated with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to promote osteoclastogenesis. It was shown that the addition of HAp to Gellan Gum spongy-like hydrogels enables the formation of lager pores and thicker walls, promoting an increase in stiffness. hydroxyapatite reinforced gellan gum spongy-like hydrogels supported the formation of aggregates of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-stained cells and the expression of the genes encoding DC-Stamp and Cathepsin K, suggesting the differentiation of bone marrow cells into pre-osteoclasts. The hydroxyapatite reinforced gellan gum spongy-like hydrogels developed in this work show promise for future use in bone tissue scaffolding applications.
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