Three-Dimensional Culture with Stiff Microstructures Increases Proliferation and Slows Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

✍ Scribed by John M. Collins; Perla Ayala; Tejal A. Desai; Brenda Russell

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 351 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1613-6810
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.200901757

✦ Synopsis

Stem cells are regulated not only by soluble stimuli but also the less well studied physical microenvironment. [1] The physical niche is a combination of structural, cellular, and biochemical components that vary among tissues and contribute to control proliferation and differentiation. [2] Cells function differently when grown in a three-dimensional (3D) environment rather than on a flat two-dimensional (2D) surface. [3] Indeed, it has been demonstrated that cell growth, death, differentiation, and motility may all be controlled by culturing cells on 2D extracellular matrix scaffolds of defined geometry [4][5][6][7][8] or mechanical rigidity. [9][10][11] Recently, we have shown that microstructures in a 3D system inhibit fibroblast proliferation. [12] Nonetheless, the understanding of how topographical features in 3D culture can influence cellular behavior is comparatively understudied. The design and development of novel platforms for regenerative therapies requires an understanding of how physical and mechanical cues affect cells in three dimensions. Here, a 3D matrix contains a small quantity of stiff microstructures to probe how the local microenvironment regulates human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) functions. Microstructures are shown to cause an increase in hMSC proliferation and slow osteogenic differentiation after 10 days of 3D culture.

Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewing cells that retain their ability to differentiate into mesenchymal tissue including bone, cartilage, and adipose

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