Remodeling of Bone in Tissue Culture

¹ Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

In the presence of a suitable environment, which includes chicken embryo extract in [see figure in the Pdf file] [see figure in the Pdf file] the medium and 50 per cent O₂ in the gas phase, roller-tube cultures of young mouse calvaria have been stimulated to resorb the original bone, lay down an osteoid matrix, calcify portions of it, and finally resorb these newly calcified trabeculae in a continuous process of bone remodeling that may be readily visualized in the living cultures. The fact that calcification within the tissue was limited to certain portions of the new osteoid collagen (despite the fact that large amounts of calcium salts precipitated in the surrounding plasma clot) indicates that a calcification inhibitor factor(s) is present in the noncalcifying portion of this tissue. Apparently, such a factor is overcome in certain limited sites of new osteoid that selectively undergo calcification. Of further interest was the finding that, contrary to current concepts, uncalcified osteoid may be attacked and resorbed by osteoclasts.

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