Current tissue engineering strategies have progressed recently from a historical approach that is based primarily on biomaterials to a cell- and tissue-based approach. Essentially all orthopedic tissue engineering strategies can be distilled to a strategy or combination of strategies that seek to increase the number or relative performance of bone-forming cells. In our study, we explored a "cell guidance" approach using a chemokine, SDF-1α, to promote cell migration to the central scaffold, to enhance bone regeneration. In our opinion, SDF-1α is a promising candidate for in situ recruitment of bone-forming cells in regenerative therapies under hypoxia precondition.
Keywords: SDF-1; bone marrow stromal cells; bone regeneration; cellularization; hypoxic preconditioning; scaffold.