The current rapid progression of biomedical research has enhanced our knowledge of biomaterials in general, and their application for tissue engineering and regeneration. The main emphasis of the biomaterials cell culture lab lies on studying the cytocompatibility of novel designed biomaterials, as well as on the development of tissue engineering strategies, using stem cells. Two types of (adult) stem cells are extensively investigated, i.e. mesenchymal cells from bone marrow, and dental pulp stem cells. In our group primary cells are isolated from rat and human sources and their growth characteristics and differentiation ability are evaluated. Current research interests include cell selection/ purification methodologies, multilineage differentiation of stem cells, effects of various (polymer, metallic, ceramic, and biological) scaffolding materials on cell differentiation, influence of biomechanical loading, transfection using viral and non-viral vectors, and optimalization of general culturing conditions before in vivo application / animal studies with bone marrow and dental pulp stem cells.

Dental pulp stem cells grown for 8 days on a porous ceramic (calcium phosphate) scaffold with extensive formation of matrix proteins.

Key references

1. Zhang W, Walboomers XF, Wolke JG, Bian Z, Fan MW, Jansen JA. Differentiation ability of rat postnatal dental pulp cells in vitro. Tissue Eng 2005;11(3-4):357-68.
2. Walboomers XF, Elder SE, Bumgardner JD, Jansen JA. Hydrodynamic compression of young and adult rat osteoblast-like cells on titanium fiber mesh J Biomed Mater Res A 2006;76(1):16-24. 
3. van den Dolder J, Jansen JA. Enrichment of osteogenic cell populations from rat bone marrow stroma. Biomaterials 2007;28(2):249-55.