@article {15905,
	title = {VEGF and FGF-2 incorporation in starch-based bone tissue engineering constructs promote the in vivo expression of neovascularisation mediators},
	journal = {Tissue Engineering-A},
	volume = {19},
	year = {2013},
	month = {2013-04-01 00:00:00},
	pages = {834-848},
	publisher = {Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.},
	abstract = {<p>The ideal bone tissue-engineered (TE) construct remains to be found, although daily discoveries significantly contribute to improvements in the field and certainly have valuable long-term outcomes. In this work, different TE elements, aiming at bone TE applications, were assembled and its effect on the expression of several vas- cularization/angiogenesis mediators analyzed. Starch/polycaprolactone (SPCL) scaffolds, obtained by two different methodologies, were combined with fibrin sealant (Baxter), human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs), and growth factors (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] or fibroblast growth factor-2 [FGF-2]), and implanted in vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2)-luc transgenic mice. The expression of VEGFR2 along the implantation of the designed constructs was followed using a luminescence device (Xenogen{\`O}) and after 2 weeks, the explants were retrieved to perform histological analysis and reverse transcriptase{\textendash}polymerase chain reaction for vascularization (VEGF and VEGFR1) and inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-4, and interferon-gamma) markers. It was showed that SPCL scaffolds ob- tained by wet spinning and by fiber bonding constitute an adequate support for hASCs. The assembled TE constructs composed by fibrin sealant, hASCs, VEGF, and FGF-2 induce only a mild inflammatory reaction after 2 weeks of implantation. Additionally, the release of VEGF and FGF-2 from the constructs enhanced the ex- pression of VEGFR2 and other important mediators in neovascularization (VEGF and VEGFR1). These results indicate the potential of VEGF or FGF-2 within a bone TE construct composed by wet-spun SPCL, fibrin sealant, and hASCs in promoting the vascularization of newly formed tissue.</p>},
	keywords = {FGF-2, tissue-engineered constructs, vascularization, VEGF},
	doi = {DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2010.0741},
	url = {http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ten.tea.2010.0741},
	author = {Santos, T. C. and Morton, T. and Moritz, M. and Pfeifer, S. and Reise, K. and Marques, A. P. and Castro, A. G. and Reis, R. L. and van Griensven, M.}
}
