Natural cellulose-based scaffold for improvement of stem cell osteogenic differentiation

Abstract The challenge of tissue engineering remains for introducing the best substrate to support stem cell growth and proliferation, and also repair of damaged tissues. Scaffolds made of plant tissues can be considered as suitable substitutes for extracellular matrix. In this study, the outer skin of the onion was decellularized and after characterization, its supportive role on osteogenic differentiation was investigated by the culture of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Structural characterizations by Atomic Force and Scanning electron microscopes, Infrared spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, Tensile, and Contact angle tests demonstrated that the decellularized scaffold has a proper 3D structure with interconnected pores, and moderate surface roughness. The Osteogenic differentiation evaluation revealed that alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition in MSCs differentiated on the decellularized onion scaffold was significantly higher than those cells differentiated on tissue culture polystyrene as a 2D control. In addition, the expression level of common bone-related genes in MSCs differentiated on the decellularized onion scaffold was also increased significantly higher than those cells cultured on the 2D control group. These data demonstrated that 3D structure of the decellularized onion scaffold with supporting stem cell proliferation and differentiation has promising potential for use in tissue engineering as a new cost-effective and green scaffold technology.