Fibrin hydrogel as a scaffold for differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into oligodendrocytes

The importance of tissue engineering has been established as a promising approach in treating neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of the current study is to determine the effect of fibrin hydrogel on the differentiation of iPSC into oligodendrocyte. For this purpose, iPSCs transduced by miR-338 expressing lentiviruses. They were treated with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA. The process was traced by a 6-day treatment in a mitogen-free medium. At the end of the process, multipolar preoligodendrocytes appeared. In comparison to tissue culture plate (TCP), MTT assay demonstrated a significant increase in the viability of cells cultured in fibrin hydrogel. SEM analysis showed cells with elongated morphology and intertwined intercellular interactions. An immunofluorescent assay confirmed the expression of oligodendrocyte markers Olig2 and O4. In comparison to TCP, real-time PCR data indicated a significant increase in the expression of some markers such as Olig2, MBP, Sox10, and PDGFRα on cells encapsulated in fibrin hydrogel. Overall, the results suggest that fibrin hydrogel improves viability of cells and promotes the differentiation of iPSCs into preoligodendrocytes. Hence, it can be used as an appropriate option in the tissue engineering in order to treat neurodegenerative diseases. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 108B:192-200, 2020.