Study on the resource of cytokine gene modified seed cells in bone tissue engineering: the stable expression of fibroblasts after bone morphogenetic protein-3 transfection

Liu Jian; Meng Guo-lin; Hu Yun-yu; Yuan Zhi; Lü Rong; Wang Jun; Xu Xin-zhi; Bai Jian-ping

doi:10.3321/j.issn:1673-8225.2005.02.018

Abstract：BACKGROUND: Bone morphogenetic protein(BMP) is one of the most important cytokines that induce and promote seed cells to be transformed into osteocytes. Insoluble natural BMP can hardly affect the life of cultured seed cells. The expensive soluble recombinant BMP is also hard to work on the seed cells at the appropriate time and dose. Therefore, gene therapy technique provides us with a brand new idea of using gene-modified seed cells.OBJECTIVE: To transfect exogenous BMP-3 gene into the fibroblasts and screen the positive fibroblast clones that can express BMP-3 stably.DESIGN: Simple sample study.SETTING: Orthopaedic Research Institute, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: The fibroblasts(NIH3T3) were kindly presented by Professor Situ Zhen-qiang of the Stomatological College of Fourth Military Medical University of Chinese PLA.METHODS: This experiment was conducted in the Key Laboratory of Chinese PLA, which belongs to the Orthopaedic Research Institute of Fourth Military Medical University. BMP-3 gene was transfected into the fibroblasts through lipofectamin. The transfected cells were screened by G418. The separated cloned cells were identified through immunohistochemistry. The positively stained cells were the clones of BMP-3 expressing fibroblasts.MAIT OUTCOME MEASURES: The screening concentration of NIH3T3 cells, screening of positive transfected cells, and expression of BMP-3 in screened cells.RESULTS: BMP-3 gene was successfully transfected into the fibroblasts. BMP-3 expressing fibroblast clones were creened and identified through immunohistochemistry. Fibroblast strains with stable BMP-3 expression were obtained.CONCLUSION: The transfection of BMP-3 gene eukaryonic expression vector into the fibroblasts and obtaining of fibroblast strains with BMP-3 expression have laid foundation for the usage of gene-modified seed cells in future research of bone tissue engineering.