Multi-site enhancement of osteogenesis: peptide-functionalized GelMA hydrogels with three-dimensional cultures of human dental pulp stem cells

Abstract Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) have demonstrated greater proliferation and osteogenic differentiation potential in certain studies compared to other types of mesenchymal stem cells, making them a promising option for treating craniomaxillofacial bone defects. However, due to low extracting concentration and long amplifying cycles, their access is limited and utilization rates are low. To solve these issues, the principle of bone-forming peptide-1 (BFP1) in situ chemotaxis was utilized for the osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs to achieve simultaneous and synergistic osteogenesis at multiple sites. BFP1-functionalized gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel provided a 3D culture microenvironment for stem cells. The experimental results showed that the 3D composite hydrogel scaffold constructed in this study increased the cell spread area by four times compared with the conventional GelMA scaffold. Furthermore, the problems of high stem cell dosage and low rate of utilization were alleviated by orchestrating the programmed proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs. In vivo, high-quality repair of critical bone defects was achieved using hDPSCs extracted from a single tooth, and multiple ‘bone island’-like structures were successfully observed that rapidly induced robust bone regeneration. In conclusion, this study suggests that this kind of convenient, low-cost, island-like osteogenesis strategy involving a low dose of hDPSCs has great potential for repairing craniomaxillofacial critical-sized bone defects.