Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Adenovirus-Mediated Erythropoietin Gene Therapy Approaches for Bone Defect

Regeneration of large bone defects is a common clinical problem. Recent studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional surgical techniques. However, it is still a key question how to enhance the osteogenic potential of MSCs for possible clinical trials. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of adenovirus-mediated erythropoietin (Ad-EPO) transfer on BMSCs, we performed extensive in vitro/in vivo assays in this study. Flow cytometry analysis and the result of MTT showed that EPO could promote BMSCs proliferation. QPCR data demonstrated that EPO increased expressions of Runx2, Sp7, and Col1 in osteoblast at various time points and also increased alkaline phosphatase activity and the calcium deposition. These results indicate that EPO can increase the differentiation of osteoblast. Importantly, in vivo assays clearly demonstrate that EPO can efficiently induce new bone formation in the bone defect model. Our results strongly suggest that EPO can affect osteoblast differentiation and play important roles in bone regeneration leading to an increase in bone formation.