The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteogenic response of human adipose-derived stromal cells (ADScs) to mesoporous titania (TiO2) coatings produced with evaporation-induced self-assembly method (EISA) and loaded with magnesium. Our emphasis with the magnesium release functionality was to modulate progenitor cell osteogenic differentiation under standard culture conditions. Osteogenic properties of the coatings were assessed for stromal cells by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging, colorimetric mitochondrial viability assay (MTT), colorimetric alkaline phosphates activity (ALP) assay and real time RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using atomic force microscopy (AFM) it was shown that the surface expansion area (Sdr) was strongly enhanced by the presence of magnesium. From MTT results it was shown that ADSc viability was significantly increased on mesoporous surfaces compared to the non-porous one at a longer cell culture time. However, no differences were observed between the magnesium impregnated and non-impregnated surfaces. The alkaline phosphatase activity confirmed that ADSc started to differentiate into the osteogenic phenotype after 2 weeks of culturing. The gene expression profile at 2 weeks of cell growth showed that such coatings were capable to incorporate specific osteogenic markers inside their interconnected nano-pores and, at 3 weeks, ADSc differentiated into osteoblasts. Interestingly, magnesium significantly promoted the osteopontin gene expression, which is an essential gene for the early biomaterial-cell osteogenic interaction.
Keywords: 3-D nanostructure; Magnesium; Osteogenesis; Osteogenic markers; Osteopontin.
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