Winner of the 2013 young investigator award for the society for biomaterials annual meeting and exposition, April 10-13, 2013, Boston, Massachusetts

Devitalization and demineralization processing of biodegradable polymer and extracellular matrix (ECM) hybrid constructs was explored for the effect on the retention of ECM components and construct osteogenicity. Hybrid constructs were generated by seeding osteogenically predifferentiated rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) onto electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone) fiber meshes and culturing in osteogenic medium for 12 or 16 days within a flow perfusion bioreactor to create an ECM coating. The resulting constructs were then either devitalized (using a freeze‐thaw or a detergent technique), devitalized and demineralized, or left untreated, and subsequently characterized for DNA, glycosaminoglycan, collagen, and calcium content. The osteogenicity of each construct was investigated by culturing MSCs on the hybrid constructs within a flow perfusion bioreactor for 4, 8, and 12 days in osteogenic medium. Histological staining demonstrated that devitalization via the freeze–thaw method retained the thickest coating of ECM components within the constructs. Demineralization and devitalization processing of ECM coated constructs resulted in a decrease in their osteogenicity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013.