Effect of Tenomodulin overexpression treatment on bone formation activity is dependent on gene transfection vectors

Tenomodulin (Tnmd) has been confirmed in periodontal ligament and reported to inhibit angiogenesis or involved in collagen fibril maturation; however, the effect of Tnmd overexpression treatment on bone regeneration therapy is not clear.Therefore, in this study we investigated the effect of Tnmd overexpression on bone formation activity in vitro and in vivo, using a calcium phosphate-based gene transfection vector (CaP) or a cationic polymer-based reagent (JetPEI). Osteogenesis- and chondrogenesis-related gene expression levels in MC3T3E1 and rat bone marrow derived cells (rBMSCs) were detected using qPCR test 3 days after gene transfection with plasmid DNA (Tnmd). The bone filling ratio was evaluated at 28 days after implantation of a collagen sponge scaffold with or without CaP (Tnmd) or JetPEI (Tnmd) in rat calvaria bone defects. The bone filling ratio of JetPEI (Tnmd) was lower than that of the scaffold alone, while that of CaP (Tnmd) was higher. The present study demonstrates that the effect of Tnmd overexpression treatment was dependent on cell lines and a non-viral gene transfection vector in vitro. The gene transfection vector should be used depending on the targeting tissue in the introduction of Tnmd overexpression treatment in tissue regeneration therapy.