Bone tissue has a limited regenerative capacity; therefore, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are becoming increasingly prominent in modern regenerative medicine, representing a promising therapeutic option due to their immunomodulatory properties. Perinatal tissues, such as placenta, amniotic membrane and umbilical cord, are significant sources of MSCs as they are easily accessible and their acquisition is ethically non-controversial. Despite extensive research, the question remains whether different perinatal sources provide comparable osteogenic potential.
The aim of this master’s thesis was to compare the in vitro osteogenic potential of 11 primary MSC samples isolated from various perinatal tissues. Cells from the amniotic membrane (5 samples) and placenta (6 samples) were exposed to an osteogenic differentiation medium, while umbilical cord samples were excluded from further analysis due to insufficient cell concentration. Osteogenic differentiation was induced by adding dexamethasone, ascorbic acid and β-glycerophosphate. After 21 days, differentiation was evaluated using alizarin red S histochemical staining and spectrophotometric quantification of mineralization. The results showed that osteogenic induction significantly increases the mineralization of the extracellular matrix compared to control samples. Comparison between the different tissue sources revealed some variability in the degree of mineralization; however, the differences were not pronounced, suggesting functional similarity between MSCs derived from the amniotic membrane and the placenta. Success rate analysis of the differentiation further confirmed that majority of samples met the criteria for successful osteogenic differentiation, regardless of the cell source.
Based on these findings, we can conclude that MSCs from amniotic membrane and placenta successfully respond to osteogenic stimulation in vitro by forming a mineralized matrix. The absence of statistically significant differences in the degree of mineralization suggests a similar functional response of cells from different perinatal sources, warranting their further investigation in regenerative medicine.
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