Stem cells and development
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Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) plays an important role in angiogenesis-osteogenesis coupling during bone regeneration, which can enhance the bone healing capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) by improving their osteogenic and angiogenic activities. Previous studies transduced the HIF-1α gene into MSCs with lentivirus vectors to improve their bone healing capacity. However, the risks due to lentivirus vectors, such as tumorigenesis, should be considered before clinical application. ⋯ DMOG markedly increased vascular endothelial growth factor production in ASCs in a dose-dependent manner and improved the osteogenic differentiation potential of ASCs by activating the expression of HIF-1α. Rats with critical-sized calvarial defects treated with hydrogels containing DMOG-treated ASCs had more bone regeneration and new vessel formation than the other groups. Therefore, we believe that DMOG enhanced the angiogenic and osteogenic activity of ASCs by activating the expression of HIF-1α, thereby improving the bone healing capacity of ASCs in rat critical-sized calvarial defects.