Osteogenic effects of an electromagnetic stimulation on human mesenchymal stromal cells seeded onto gelatin cryogel

Bone tissue engineering typically uses biomaterial scaffolds, osteoblasts or cells that can become osteoblasts, and biophysical stimulations to promote cell attachment and differentiation. In this study, we investigated the effects of an electromagnetic wave on mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from the bone marrow and seeded upon gelatin cryogel disks. In comparison with control conditions without electromagnetic stimulus, the electromagnetic treatment (magnetic field, 2 mT; frequency, 75 Hz) increased the cell proliferation and differentiation and enhanced the biomaterial surface coating with bone extracellular matrix proteins (osteocalcin, osteopontin, and type-I collagen). Using this tissue-engineering approach, the gelatin biomaterial, coated with differentiated cells and their extracellular matrix proteins, may be used in clinical applications as an implant for bone defect repair.