Cell biology of the skeletal system: Osteoblastic and osteocytic biology and bone tissue engineering

Osteoblastic and Osteocytic Biology and Bone Tissue Engineering Henry J. Donahue, Christopher A. Siedlecki and Erwin Vogler The successful engineering of bone tissue requires (1) a mechanical environment that stimulates bone cell differentiation, (2) a scaffold made from a biomaterial that supports bone cell proliferation and differentiation, (3) appropriate cells, including pluripotent stem cells as well as supporting cells, and (4) appropriate osteogenic molecules, including extracellular matrix proteins, incorporated into the scaffold biomaterial in a distribution pattern that optimizes bone cell proliferation and differentiation. In this chapter, we will discuss the osteoblastic and osteocytic cell biology relevant to bone tissue engineering. This will include a review of the regulation of osteoblastic differentiation with special emphasis on mechanical regulation of osteoblastic differentiation. We will also discuss how the biomaterials used in tissue engineering can also function to regulate osteoblastic behavior.