Reconstruction of cartilage, bone, and hematopoietic microenvironment with demineralized bone matrix and bone marrow cells.

Highly specialized hard tissues, such as cartilage, bone, and stromal microenvironment supporting hematopoiesis, originate from a common type of mesenchymal progenitor cell (MPC). We hypothesized that MPCs present in bone marrow cell suspension and demineralized bone matrix (DBM) that possess natural conductive and inductive features might constitute a unit containing all the essential elements for purposive bone and cartilage induction. Using a rodent preclinical model, we found that implantation of a composite comprising DBM and MPCs into A) a damaged area of a joint; B) an ablated bone marrow cavity, and C) a calvarial defect resulted in the generation of A) a new osteochondral complex comprising articular cartilage and subchondral bone; B) trabecular bone and stromal microenvironment supporting hematopoiesis, and C) flat bone, respectively. The new tissue formation followed differentiation pathways controlled by site-specific physiological conditions, thus developing tissues that precisely met local demands.