Role of TGF-β1 expressed in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in promoting bone formation in a rabbit femoral defect model

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.