Abstract
BACKGROUND: The cultured mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been used in many clinical trials; however, there are still some concerns about the cultural conditions. One concern is related to the use of FBS as a widely used xenogeneic supplement in the culture system. Human platelet-rich plasma (hPRP) is a candidate replacement for FBS. In this study, the effect of hPRP on MSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation has been evaluated. METHODS: Human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSC) were expanded. Cells from the third passage were characterized by flow cytometric analysis and used for in vitro experiments. Resazurin and alizarin red stains were used for cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation assays, respectively. RESULTS: Treatment with hPRP resulted in a statistically significant increase in cell proliferation compare to the negative control group (P<0.001). Cell proliferation in the 15% hPRP group was also significantly higher than that in the 10% hPRP group (P<0.05). Additionally, it caused less osteogenic differentiation of the hADSC compared to the FBS (P<0.001), but in comparison to negative control, it caused acceptable mineralization (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that hPRP not only improves the proliferation but also it can be a suitable substitution in osteogenic differentiation for clinical purposes. However, the clinical application value of hPRP still needs more investigation.