Skip to main content

Isolation and Culture of Human Osteoblasts

  • Protocol
Human Cell Culture Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Medicineā„¢ ((MIMM,volume 107))

  • 2761 Accesses

Abstract

Bone is a complex tissue that contains at least four different cell types of the osteoblastic lineage. (1) Active osteoblast-a plump, polarized, cuboidal cell rich in organelles involved in the synthesis and secretion of matrix proteins. (2) Osteocyte-an osteoblast with low metabolic activity that has been engulfed in matrix during bone formation and entombed in lacunae. (3) Bone-lining cell-osteoblasts that have avoided entombment in lacunae and lose their prominent synthetic function; these cells cover most of the bone surfaces in mature bone. (4) Preosteoblast-a fibroblastic proliferative cell with osteogenic capacity. In addition, bone contains cells of a distinct lineage, the osteoclast (reviewed in Ch. 4).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Gallagher, J. A., Beresford, J. N., Caswell, A., and Russell, R. G. G (1987) Subcellular investigations of skeletal tissue, in Subcellular Pathology of Systemic Disease (Peters, T. J., ed.), Chapman and Hall, London, pp. 377ā€“397.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  2. Bard, D. R., Dickens, M. J., Smith, A. U., and Zarek, J. M. (1972) Isolation of living cells from mature mammalian bone. Nature 236, 314ā€“315.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  3. Mills, B. G., Singer, F. R., Weiner, L. P., and Hoist, P. A. (1979) Long term culture of cells from bone affected with Pagetā€™s disease. Calcif. Tiss. Int. 29, 79ā€“87.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  4. Gallagher, J. A., Beresford, J. N., McGuire, M. K. B., et al. (1984) Effects of glucocorticoids and anabolic steroids on cells derived from human skeletal and articular tissues in vitro. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 171, 279ā€“292.

    PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  5. Beresford, J. N., Gallagher, J. A., Poser, J. W., and Russell, R. G. G. (1984a) Production of osteocalcin by human bone cells in vitro. Effects of 1,25(OH)2D3, parathyroid hormone and glucocorticoids. Metab. Bone Dis. Rel. Res. 5, 229ā€“234.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  6. Gallagher, J. A., Gundle, R., and Beresford, J. N. (1996) Isolation and culture of bone forming cells (osteoblasts) from human bone, in Human Cell Culture Protocols (Jones, G. E., ed.), Humana, Totowa, NJ.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  7. Gundle, R., Stewart, K., Screen, J., and Beresford, J. N. (1998) Isolation and culture of human bone derived cells, in Marrow Stromal Cell Culture (Beresford, J. and Owen, M., eds.) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  8. Gallagher, J. A. (2003) Human osteoblast culture, in Bone Research Protocols (Helfrich, M. H. and Ralston, S. H., eds.) Humana, Totowa, NJ.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  9. Birch, M. A., Ginty, A. E, Walsh, C. A., Fraser, W. D., Gallagher, J. A., and Bilbe, G. (1993) PCR detection of cytokines in normal human and pagetic osteoblastlike cells. J. Bone. Miner. Res. 10, 1155ā€“1162.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  10. Chaudhary, L. R., Spelsberg, T. C., and Riggs, B. L. (1992) Production of various cytokines by normal human osteoblast-like cells in response to interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha: lack of regulation by 17 beta-estradiol. Endocrinology 130, 2528ā€“2534.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  11. Mohan, S. and Baylink, D. J. (1991) Bone growth factors. Clin. Orthop. 263, 30ā€“48.

    PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  12. Canalis, E., Pash, J., and Verghese, S. (1993) Skeletal growth factors. Crit. Rev. Eukaryotic Gene Express. 3, 155ā€“166.

    CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  13. Prockop, D. J. and Kivivrikko, K. I. (1984) Heritable diseases of collagen. New Engl. J. Med. 311, 376ā€“386.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  14. Bowler, W. B., Dixon, C. J., Halleux, C., et al. (1999) Signaling in human osteoblasts by extracellular nucleotides their weak induction of the c-fos protooncogene via Ca21 mobilization is strongly potentiated by a parathyroid hor-mone/cAMP-dependent protein kinase pathway independently of mitogen-activated protein kinase. J. Biol. Chem. 274, 14,315ā€“14,324.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  15. Harris, S. A., Tau, K. R., Enger, R. J., Toft, D. O., Riggs, B. L., and Spelsberg, T. C. (1995) Estrogen response in the hFOB 1.19 human fetal osteoblastic cell line stably transfected with the human estrogen receptor gene. J. Cell Biochem. 59, 193ā€“201.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  16. Winn, S. R., Randolph, G., Uludag, H., Wong, S. C., Hair, G. A., and Hollinger, J. O. (1999) Establishing an immortalized human osteoprecursor cell line: OPC1. J. Bone Miner. Res. 14, 1721ā€“1733.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  17. Rao, L. G., Liu, L. J., Murray, T. M., McDermott, E., and Zhang, X. (2003) Estrogen added intermittently, but not continuously, stimulates differentiation and bone formation in SaOS-2 cells. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 26, 936ā€“945.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  18. Minguell, J. J., Erices, A., and Conget, P. (2001) Minireview: mesenchymal stem cells. Exp. Biol. Med. 226, 507ā€“520.

    CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  19. Krause, D. S. (2002) Plasticity of marrow derived stem cells. Gene Therapy 9, 754ā€“758.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  20. Jiang, Y., Jahagirdar, B. N., Reinhardt, R. L., et al. (2002) Pluripotency of mesenchymal stem cells derived from adult marrow. Nature 418, 41ā€“49.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  21. Pittenger, M. R, Mackay, A. M., Beck, S. C., et al. (1999) Multilineage potential of adult human mesenchymal stem cells. Science 284, 143ā€“147.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  22. Rosenthal, N. (2003) Prometheusā€™s vulture and the stem cell promise. N. Engl. J. Med. 349, 267ā€“274.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  23. Jaiswal, N., Haynesworth, S. E., Caplan, A. L, and Bruder, S. P. (1997) Osteogenic differentiation of purified, culture-expanded human mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. J. Cell Biochem. 64, 295ā€“312.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  24. Jones, E. A., Kinsey, S. E., English, A., et al. (2002) Isolation and characterization of bone marrow multipotential mesenchymal progenitor cells. Arthitis. Rheum. 46, 3349ā€“3360.

    ArticleĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  25. Fibbe, W. E. (2002) Mesenchymal stem cells: A potential source for skeletal repair. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 61(Suppl. II), 29ā€“31.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  26. Jaiswal, N., Haynesworth, S. E., Caplan, A. L, and Bruder, S. P. (1997) Osteogenic differentiation of purified, culture-expanded human mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. J. Cell Biochem. 64, 295ā€“312.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  27. Chen, D., Harris, M. A., Feng, J. Q., et al. (1998) Differential roles for bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor type IB and IA in differentiation and specification of mesenchymal precursor cells to osteoblast and adipocyte lineages. J. Cell Biol. 142, 295ā€“305.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  28. Gronthos, S., Simmons, P. J., Graves, S. E., and Robey, P. G. (2001) Integrinmediated interactions between human bone marrow stromal precursor cells and the extracellular matrix. Bone 28, 174ā€“181.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  29. Bruder, S. P., Jaiswal, N., Ricalton, N. S., Mosca, J. D., Kraus, K. H., and Kadiyala, S. (1998) Mesenchymal stem cells in osteobiology and applied bone regeneration. Clin. Orthop. 355, S247ā€“S256.

    PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  30. Bruder, S. P., Jaiswal, N., and Haynesworth, S. E. (1997) Growth kinetics, self-renewal, and the osteogenic potential of purified human mesenchymal stem cells during extensive subcultivation and following cryopreservation. J. Cell Biochem. 64, 278ā€“294.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  31. Lennon, D. P., Haynesworth, S. E., Young, R. G., Dennis, J. E., and Caplan, A. I. (1995) A chemically defined medium supports in vitro proliferation and maintains the osteochondal potential of rat marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Exp. Cell Res. 219, 211ā€“222.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  32. Bruder, S. P., Fink, D. J., and Caplan, A. I. (1994) Mesenchymal stem cells in bone development, bone repair, and skeletal regeneration therapy. J. Cell Biochem. 26, 283ā€“294.

    ArticleĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  33. ABI Prism User Bulletin #2, ABI Prism 7700 Sequence Detection System, Dec 2001.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  34. Beresford, J. N., Graves, S. E., and Smoothy, C. A. (1993) Formation of mineralised nodules by bone derived cells in vitro: a model of bone formation? Am. J. Med. Genet. 45, 163ā€“178.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  35. Gundle, R. G., Joyner, C. J., and Triffitt, J. T. (1995) Human bone tissue formation in diffusion chamber culture in vivo by bone derived cells and marrow stromal cells. Bone 16,597ā€“601.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  36. Jones, S. J., Gray, C., Boyde, A., and Burnstock, G. (1997) Purinergic transmitters inhibit bone formation by cultured osteoblasts. Bone 21, 393ā€“399.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  37. Yasuda, H., Shima, N., Nakagawa, N., et al. (1998) Osteoclast differentiation factor is a ligand for osteoprotegerin/osteoclastogenesis inhibitory factor and is identical to TRANCE/RANKL. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 3597ā€“3602.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  38. Tsuda, E., Goto, M., Mochizuki, S., et al. (1997) Isolation of a novel cytokine from human fibroblasts that specifically inhibits osteoclastogenesis. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 234, 137ā€“142.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  39. Nagai, M. and Sato, N. (1999) Reciprocal gene expression of osteoclastogenesis inhibitory factor and osteoclast differentiation factor regulates osteoclast formation. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Com. 257, 719ā€“723.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  40. Atkins, G. J., Kostakis, P., Pan, B., et al. (2003) RANKL expression is related to the differentiation state of human osteoblasts. J. Bone Miner. Res. 18, 1088ā€“1098.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  41. Takahashi, Y. and Tabata, Y. (2003) Homogeneous seeding of mesenchymal stem cells into nonwoven fabric for tissue engineering. Tissue Eng. 9, 931ā€“938.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  42. Abukawa, H., Terai, H., Hannouche, D., Vacanti, J. P., Kaban, L. B., and Troulis, M. J. (2003) Formation of a mandibular condyle in vitro by tissue engineering. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 61, 94ā€“100.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  43. Dong, J., Uemura, T., Kikuchi, M., Tanaka, J., and Tateishi, T. (2002) Long-term durability of porous hydroxyapatite with low-pressure system to support osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 12, 203ā€“209.

    CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  44. Yamada, Y., Boo, J. S., Ozawa, R., et al. (2003) Bone regeneration following injection of mesenchymal stem cells and fibrin glue with a biodegradable scaffold. J. Craniomaxillofac. Surg. 31, 27ā€“33.

    PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  45. Arnold, U., Lindenhayn, K., and Perka, C. (2002) In vitro-cultivation of human periosteum derived cells in bioresorbable polymer-TCP-composites. Biomaterials 23,2303ā€“2310.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  46. Shin, H., Zygourakis, K., Farach-Carson, M. C., Yaszemski, M. J., and Mikos, A. G. (2004) Attachment, proliferation, and migration of marrow stromal osteoblasts cultured on biomimetic hydrogels modified with an osteopontin-derived peptide. Biomaterials 5, 895ā€“906.

    ArticleĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  47. Partridge, K., Yang, X., Clarke, N. M., et al. (2002) Adenoviral BMP-2 gene transfer in mesenchymal stem cells: in vitro and in vivo bone formation on biodegradable polymer scaffolds. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 22, 144ā€“152.

    ArticleĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  48. Peng, H., Wright, V., Usas, A., et al. (2002) Synergistic enhancement of bone formation and healing by stem cell-expressed VEGF and bone morphogenetic protein-4. J. Clin. Invest. 110, 751ā€“759.

    PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  49. Mason, J. M., Breitbart, A. S., Barcia, M., Porti, D., Pergolizzi, R. G., and Grande, D. A. (2000) Cartilage and bone regeneration using gene-enhanced tissue engineering. Clin. Orthop. 399(Suppl.), S171ā€“S178.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  50. Gehron-Robey, P. and Termine, J. D. (1985) Human bone cells in vitro. Calcif. Tiss. Int. 37, 453, 460.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  51. Wergedal, J. E. and Baylink, D. J. (1984) Characterisation of cells isolated and cultured from human trabecular bone. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 176, 60ā€“69.

    PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  52. Marie, P. J., Sabbagh, A., De Vernejoul, M. C., and Lomri, A. (1988) Osteocalcin and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in vitro and histomorphometric indices of bone formation in postmenopausal osteoporosis. J. Clin. Invest. 69, 272ā€“279.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  53. Walsh, S., Jefferiss, C., Stewart, K., Jordan, G. R., Screen, J., and Beresford, J. N. (2000) Expression of the developmental markers STRO-1 and alkaline phosphatase in cultures of human marrow stromal cells: regulation by fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and relationship to the expression of FGF receptors 1-4. Bone 27, 185ā€“195.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

Ā© 2005 Humana Press Inc.

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Gartland, A., Buckley, K.A., Dillon, J.P., Curran, J.M., Hunt, J.A., Gallagher, J.A. (2005). Isolation and Culture of Human Osteoblasts. In: Picot, J. (eds) Human Cell Culture Protocols. Methods in Molecular Medicineā„¢, vol 107. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-861-7:029

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-861-7:029

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-222-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-861-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics