There are many unknown mechanisms behind how muscular disorders and mechanical load adversely affect bone development, such as in the disease distal arthrogryposis. Here, we report a novel, three-dimensional bone tissue model as a platform for musculoskeletal disease modeling that allows for compressive loading. By seeding induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived osteoblasts in a 3D, plasma treated, porous, gelatin coated, poly-L-lactide (PLLA) scaffold, we generate 3D bone tissue cultures with extracellular calcium deposition.
Scaffold 
Osteroblasts (Actin stain) 
Extracellular Calcium Deposition
By applying cyclical compression to the novel 3D bone tissue model with an automatic Arduino actuation device, we expect to observe phenotypes of bone disorders and bone development under mechanical loading. This method of generating and testing 3D bone tissue may serve as a fast and accessible model for the formation of both healthy and pathological bone.
- Investigators: Karen Gaffney, Samantha Bremner, David Mack