Abstract

Bone has a remarkable potential for self-healing and repair, yet several injury types are non-healing even after surgical or non-surgical treatment. Regenerative therapies that induce bone repair or improve the rate of recovery are being intensely investigated. Here, we probed the potential of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) engineered with chemically modified mRNAs (modRNA) encoding the hBMP-2 and VEGF-A gene to therapeutically heal bone. Induction of osteogenesis from modRNA-treated BMSCs was confirmed by expression profiles of osteogenic related markers and the presence of mineralization deposits. To test for therapeutic efficacy, a collagen scaffold inoculated with modRNA-treated BMSCs was explored in an in vivo skull defect model. We show that hBMP-2 and VEGF-A modRNAs synergistically drive osteogenic and angiogenic programs resulting in superior healing properties. This study exploits chemically modified mRNAs, together with biomaterials, as a potential approach for the clinical treatment of bone injury and defects.