Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
National Research Council (CNR) Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Aug 18;22(16):8867. doi: 10.3390/ijms22168867.
Concentrated Growth Factors (CGF) represent new autologous (blood-derived biomaterial), attracting growing interest in the field of regenerative medicine. In this study, the chemical, structural, and biological characterization of CGF was carried out. CGF molecular characterization was performed by GC/MS to quantify small metabolites and by ELISA to measure growth factors and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) release; structural CGF characterization was carried out by SEM analysis and immunohistochemistry; CGF has been cultured, and its primary cells were isolated for the identification of their surface markers by flow cytometry, Western blot, and real-time PCR; finally, the osteogenic differentiation of CGF primary cells was evaluated through matrix mineralization by alizarin red staining and through mRNA quantification of osteogenic differentiation markers by real-time PCR. We found that CGF has a complex inner structure capable of influencing the release of growth factors, metabolites, and cells. These cells, which could regulate the production and release of the CGF growth factors, show stem features and are able to differentiate into osteoblasts producing a mineralized matrix. These data, taken together, highlight interesting new perspectives for the use of CGF in regenerative medicine.
浓缩生长因子 (CGF) 代表了一种新型的自体（血液来源）生物材料，在再生医学领域引起了越来越多的关注。本研究对 CGF 的化学、结构和生物学特性进行了研究。通过 GC/MS 定量分析小分子代谢物和 ELISA 测量生长因子和基质金属蛋白酶 (MMPs) 的释放，对 CGF 的分子特征进行了分析；通过 SEM 分析和免疫组织化学对 CGF 的结构特征进行了分析；通过培养 CGF 并分离其原代细胞，通过流式细胞术、Western blot 和实时 PCR 鉴定其表面标志物；最后，通过茜素红染色评估 CGF 原代细胞的成骨分化，通过实时 PCR 定量分析成骨分化标志物的 mRNA 表达。我们发现 CGF 具有复杂的内部结构，能够影响生长因子、代谢物和细胞的释放。这些细胞能够调节 CGF 生长因子的产生和释放，表现出干细胞特征，并能分化为产生矿化基质的成骨细胞。这些数据共同强调了 CGF 在再生医学中应用的新视角。
