Growth Factor-Rich Plasma Increases Tendon Cell Proliferation and Matrix Synthesis on a Synthetic Scaffold: An In Vitro Study

Numerous scaffolds have been proposed for use in connective tissue engineering. Although these scaffolds direct cell migration and attachment, many are biologically inert and thus lack the physiological stimulus to attract cells and induce mitogenesis and matrix synthesis. In the current study, a bioactive scaffold was created by combining a synthetic scaffold with growth factor-rich plasma (GFRP), an autologous concentration of growth factors derived from a platelet-rich plasma preparation. In vitro tendon cell proliferation and matrix synthesis on autologous GFRP-enriched scaffolds, autologous serum-enriched scaffolds, and scaffolds alone were compared. The GFRP preparation was found to have a 4.7-fold greater concentration of a sentinel growth factor (TGF-beta1) compared to serum. When combined with media containing calcium, the GFRP produced a thin fibrin matrix over and within the GFRP-enriched scaffolds. Cell proliferation assays demonstrated that GFRP-enriched scaffolds significantly enhanced cell proliferation over autologous serum and control groups at both 48 and 72 hours. Analysis of the scaffolds at 14, 21, and 28 days revealed that GFRP-enriched scaffolds significantly increased the deposition of a collagen-rich extracellular matrix when compared to the other groups. These results indicate that GFRP can be used to enhance in vitro cellular population and matrix deposition of tissue-engineered scaffolds.