INTRODUCTION

Recently, the use of a new formulation of bone marrow aspirate (BMA), the BMA clot, has been described. This product entails a naturally formed clot from the harvested bone marrow, which retains all the BMA components preserved in a matrix biologically molded by the clot. Since its beneficial effects were demonstrated by some studies, how aging and aging-associated processes could impact, as for other BMA cell-based therapy, on its biological properties and effect is currently unknown. The purpose of our study was to compare selected parameters and properties of clotted BMA and of MSCs residing inside it from younger (<45 years) and older (>65 years) female donors.

METHODS

Clotted BMAs growth factors (GFs) expression, MSCs morphology and viability, doubling time, surface marker expression, clonogenic potential, three-lineage differentiation ability, senescence associated factors and Klotho expression in younger and older donors were compared and analyzed.

RESULTS

Results indicated that donor age does not affects tissue specific BMA clot regenerative properties such as GFs expression and MSCs morphology, viability, doubling time, surface antigens expression, colony-forming units, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, and Klotho and senescence-associated gene expression. Only few differences, i.e., increased PDGF-AB and increased MSCs ACAN expression were detected in younger donors in comparison to older ones. However, these differences do not interfere with all the other BMA clot biological properties.

DISCUSSION

These results demonstrated that BMA clot can be applied in an easy way, without any sample processing and avoiding potential risks contamination as well as losing cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation ability, for autologous transplantations in aged patients. The clot BMA seems to work as an early hematoma both in younger and older population and can be considered as novel and advanced therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of orthopedic injuries.