Effect of hydroxyapatite nanocrystals functionalized with lactoferrin in osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

Lactoferrin (LF) is a bioactive glycoprotein that became recently interesting in the field of bone regeneration for its modulatory effect on bone cells. On the basis of this evidence this work aims to functionalize biomimetic hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals with LF to study their effect on osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The orientation of LF on the HA surface was analyzed by spectroscopic and thermal techniques. Three samples with different amounts of LF attached to HA nanocrystals were tested in vitro. The combined effect of HA and LF on MSC proliferation and morphology, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and gene expression were evaluated at different time points. The sample with the lowest LF amount showed the best bioactivity probably due to the formation of a single layer of protein with a better molecular orientation. Coupling of HA-LF did not affect cell proliferation and morphology, while analysis of HA-LF on ALP activity and messenger RNA expression of the selected genes, demonstrated the role of HA-LF in the induction of osteogenic markers. HA-LF represents a promising system to be used to manufacture bioactive functional materials in tissue engineering (as scaffolds, injectable cements, or coatings for metallic implants) with enhanced anabolic activity to treat bone diseases.