OBJECTIVETo investigate the ability to form new bone and cartilage tissues of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) derived from human condyle in vivo, to search the new source of seed cells in constructing tissue engineering condyle.

METHODSBone marrow was collected from the irrigation solution from resected human condyle, and was isolated by density gradient centrifugation and then purified by adherent separation and cultured in vitro. P3 or P4 BMSC populations were induced into osteoblasts and chondroblast under inductive medium in vitro and then seeded on porous coral scaffolds. The appearance and affinity of cells were investigated via scanning electron microscope. And then osteoblast or chondroblast/coral scaffolds composites were implanted into the dorsum of nude mice. The mice were sacrificed by anaesthesia overdose at six and nine weeks after surgery and the scaffolds were removed for analysis.

RESULTSScanning electron microscope showed that BMSC were adhering to the surface of coral and having an overlapped growth or to contact each other as net and stride over the pores. The in vivo scaffold specimens maintained the initial shape of the coral scaffold. The new formed bone tissues were clearly evident and islands of cartilage tissues were also found at nine weeks after implantation.

CONCLUSIONSThese BMSC derived from human condyle possess the ability of forming bone and cartilage tissues when being implanted in vivo, and can be used as a kind of seed cells in constructing tissue engineering condyle.