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Regulating myogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells using thermosensitive hydrogels
Yanyi Xu1, Zhenqing Li1, Xiaofei Li1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States.
Acta Biomaterialia
|August 17, 2015
Summary
Injectable hydrogels enhance stem cell therapy for muscle regeneration. A 20 kPa hydrogel modulus promoted myogenic differentiation, while a 40 kPa modulus increased cell proliferation, aiding skeletal muscle repair in ischemic limbs.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Stem cell therapy shows promise for skeletal muscle regeneration in ischemic limbs.
- Low myogenic differentiation rates of delivered stem cells limit therapeutic efficacy.
- Injectable hydrogels can serve as stem cell carriers, with modulus potentially enhancing differentiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To decouple the effect of hydrogel modulus on stem cell differentiation from other material properties.
- To develop injectable, thermosensitive hydrogels with independently tunable elastic moduli.
- To investigate the impact of hydrogel modulus on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) myogenic differentiation and proliferation.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized injectable and thermosensitive hydrogels from N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), acrylic acid (AAc), and degradable macromers.
- Varied oligomer length to independently modulate hydrogel elastic expansion modulus while keeping composition and chemistry constant.
- Encapsulated rat bone marrow MSCs in hydrogels with moduli of 11, 20, and 40 kPa and cultured for 14 days.
Main Results:
- Hydrogel modulus was successfully decoupled from chemical structure, composition, and water content.
- Significant myogenic differentiation of MSCs was observed in hydrogels with a 20 kPa modulus.
- MSCs exhibited an elastic modulus-dependent proliferation rate, with the highest proliferation at 40 kPa.
Conclusions:
- Developed injectable hydrogels allow independent tuning of modulus for studying stem cell differentiation.
- A 20 kPa hydrogel modulus optimally promotes myogenic differentiation of MSCs.
- These hydrogels offer a promising platform for stem cell delivery to enhance muscle regeneration in ischemic limbs.
Keywords:
Elastic expansion modulusMesenchymal stem cellsMyogenic differentiationThermosensitive hydrogels
