Chip-Based Comparison of the Osteogenesis of Human Bone Marrow- and Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells under Mechanical Stimulation

Abstract

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) are considered as an attractive stem cell source for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. We compared human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and hASCs under dynamic hydraulic compression to evaluate and compare osteogenic abilities. A novel micro cell chip integrated with microvalves and microscale cell culture chambers separated from an air-pressure chamber was developed using microfabrication technology. The microscale chip enables the culture of two types of stem cells concurrently, where each is loaded into cell culture chambers and dynamic compressive stimulation is applied to the cells uniformly. Dynamic hydraulic compression (1 Hz, 1 psi) increased the production of osteogenic matrix components (bone sialoprotein, oateopontin, type I collagen) and integrin (CD11b and CD31) expression from both stem cell sources. Alkaline phosphatase and Alrizarin red staining were evident in the stimulated hMSCs, while the stimulated hASCs did not show significant increases in staining under the same stimulation conditions. Upon application of mechanical stimulus to the two types of stem cells, integrin (β1) and osteogenic gene markers were upregulated from both cell types. In conclusion, stimulated hMSCs and hASCs showed increased osteogenic gene expression compared to non-stimulated groups. The hMSCs were more sensitive to mechanical stimulation and more effective towards osteogenic differentiation than the hASCs under these modes of mechanical stimulation.

Enhanced osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells from cortical bone: a comparative analysis

“…Adipose has emerged as a reliable source because tissue can be easily obtained in larger quantities through lipoaspiration compared with bone marrow aspiration [30]. Based on this, several groups have compared the osteogenic potential of MSCs derived from the adipose tissue with that of MSCs obtained from bone marrow [31,[52][53][54][55][56]. Although results suggesting one source as favorable to another have been mixed [30][31][32], bone marrow overall was found to be superior as far as ALP activity, mineral deposition, and the expression of Values are mean ± standard deviation (n = 3).…”

Impact of Tissue-Specific Stem Cells on Lineage-Specific Differentiation: A Focus on the Musculoskeletal System

“…Using hydraulic pressure to add cell stress, they saw increases in bone matrix formation in both cell types; however, stimulated BMSCs showed greater staining in Alizarin Red S and ALP assays which is indicative of osteogenesis. They concluded that BMSCs were more susceptible to changes in osteogenic differentiation under mechanical stimulation than ADSCs (42). This conclusion seems reasonable when one considers the weight bearing responsibility and mechanical stability demand of the human skeletal system, which is likely a manifestation of the susceptibility and responsiveness of osteoblastic precursor and BMSC populations to such mechanical forces.…”

Gradient static-strain stimulation in a microfluidic chip for 3D cellular alignment

“…3, 6, 21, 31, 44 For example, Butcher et al (2006) applied mechanical squeezing force on a chamber filled with liquid and cylindrical collagen disks to obtain a uniform compressive strain. 6 Gould et al (2012) used elliptical compression springs to clamp anisotropic 3D collagen hydrogels in a biaxial strain bioreactor to control the ellipsoidal deformation ratio using step motors.…”