Abstract
We have recently showed that human amniotic fetal stem cells (hAFSCs) can be used as a countermeasure to bone mass loss because they increase the strength and quality of fragile bones. Although we found that hAFSCs mediate their effects by stimulating resident pre-osteoblasts to mature and reducing bone resorption, the precise mechanisms underlying these effects remain unknown. This project combines expertise in human fetal stem cell biology and mechanical engineering to develop a marketable cutting-edge three-dimensional in vitro co-culture system using stem cell encapsulation into microbeads to study the regulation of human bone formation and remodelling by hAFSCs.