Bioactive Scaffolds Based on Amine-Functionalized Gellan Gum for the Osteogenic Differentiation of Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells

With the aim to produce a cellularized construct for the guided bone regeneration of dento-alveolar defects, here we produce a porous scaffold using an amine derivative of gellan gum to host gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) and allow their osteochondral differentiation. Three derivatives were produced by using the same synthetic procedure, and the viscoelastic properties of their aqueous dispersions were investigated and compared to those of the native polysaccharide to choose the derivative with suitable properties for the scaffold production. Freeze-drying was used to obtain a porous sponge that can be rehydrated with the cells’ suspension to produce an implantable cell containing hydrogel. We investigated the cytocompatibility of gellan gum-((2-aminoethyl)-carbamate) (named GG-EDA) and the possibility to use it as a starting biomaterial to produce a porous scaffold able to support the osteogenic differentiation of GMSCs. Our data suggest that GG-EDA did not negatively affect the proliferation nor the osteo-inductive capability of the GMSCs.