Carbon nanotube array inducing osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a kind of nanomaterials which have been shown a promising application for biomedicine. There are a lot of studies to use CNTs to induce the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). However, the cellular behavior of MSCs on the top layer of CNT array was still not well understood. In this study, we evaluated the morphology, the gene expressions of the osteogenic differentiation related markers, and the gene expressions of collagen type II (Col II, a marker of chondrogenesis), PPARγ (a marker of adipogenesis) and scleraxis (SCX, a marker of tenogenesis) in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) cultured on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) array. The effect of MWCNT array on the mineralization of hMSCs which were cultured in osteogenic differentiation medium (ODM) was further assayed. Our results showed that the hMSCs cultured on MWCNT array spread well, formed numerous spiral shaped cell colons and showed perinuclear morphology. Compared to hMSCs cultured on dish, the gene expression of osteocalcin (OCN) was increased while the gene expressions of collagen type II (Col II), PPARγ and scleraxis (SCX) were decreased in hMSCs which were cultured on MWCNT array without any differentiation factors. Furthermore, compared with hMSCs on dish, the gene expressions of collagen type I (Col I), osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN) and RUNX2, and the mineralization of hMSCs on MWCNT array were enhanced when they were cultured in osteogenic differentiation medium (ODM). Our results indicated that MWCNT array was able to promote the osteogenesis of hMSCs.