Ossicle and Vossicle Implant Model Systems

Bone regeneration and repair is a goal of many skeletal therapies and numerous agents positively or negatively impact these processes. New therapeutic agents and effective model systems are continually sought to identify agents and characterize their mechanisms of action are in constant demand. In addition, investigations of tumor cell—bone interaction in the skeletal metastatic microenvironment require well-defined and readily orchestrated models. This chapter describes a novel ectopic ossicle model and a vossicle modification that can be used to provide focused and rapid feedback of bone growth and bone—cellular interactions. The ossicle model is a bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC)—based model and the vossicle model is a neonatal vertebral bone transplant model. These models offer opportunities to mix and compare mesenchymal (donor derived) and hematopoietic elements (host derived). Multiple implants can be placed in one mouse to facilitate various outcome analyses, such as histomorphometry, micro-CT, gene expression studies, and cell tracking using markers such as luciferase, in response to pharma cological or genetic manipulation. Implants can also be combined with other cell types, such as cancer cells to evaluate the bone—tumor microenvironment.