Abstract

Bone graft performance can be enhanced by addition of connective tissue progenitors (CTPs) from fresh bone marrow in a manner that concentrates the CTP cell population within the graft. Here, we used small peptide adhesion ligands presented against an otherwise adhesion-resistant synthetic polymer background in order to illuminate the molecular basis for the attachment and colony formation by osteogenic CTPs from fresh human marrow, and contrast the behavior of fresh marrow to many commonly used osteogenic cell sources. The linear GRGDSPY ligand was as effective as tissue culture polystyrene in fostering attachment of culture-expanded porcine CTPs. Although this GRGDSPY peptide was more effective than control peptides in fostering alkaline phosphatase (AP)-positive colony formation from primary human marrow in 5 of the 7 patients tested, GRGDSPY was as effective as the control glass substrate in only one patient of 7. Thus, the peptide appears capable of enabling osteoblastic development from only a subpopulation of CTPs in marrow. The bone sialoprotein-derived peptide FHRRIKA was ineffective in fostering attachment of primary culture-expanded pig CTPs, although it was as effective as GRGDSPY in fostering AP-positive colonies from fresh human marrow. This study provides insights into integrin-mediated behaviors of CTPs and highlights differences between freshly isolated marrow and culture-expanded cells.