Abstract
Bone defects represent a major clinical and socioeconomic problem without suitable treatment options. Previous studies have shown that transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‑β1) is important in the development of various diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of rabbit bone marrow‑derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) expressing TGF‑β1 in the treatment of rabbit femoral defects. First, rabbit BMSCs were identified and cultured. TGF‑β1 was then stably overexpressed in the rabbit BMSCs by lentivirus transfection, which was expressed at a high level in the femoral defects treated with TGF‑β1‑overexpressing BMSCs, compared with PBS‑treated controls. In addition, the TGF‑β1‑overexpressing BMSCs promoted new bone formation in the rabbit femoral defect model, and increased the expression of bone‑related markers at week 2 and week 6. Therefore, the study demonstrated that BMSCs overexpressing TGF‑β1 may provide a novel therapeutic option for femoral defects.