Tuning Multi/Pluri-Potent Stem Cell Fate by Electrospun Poly(l-lactic acid)-Calcium-Deficient Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposite Mats

Abstract

In this study, we investigated whether multipotent (human-bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells [hBM-MSCs]) and pluripotent stem cells (murine-induced pluripotent stem cells [iPSCs] and murine embryonic stem cells [ESCs]) respond to nanocomposite fibrous mats of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) loaded with 1 or 8 wt % of calcium-deficient nanohydroxyapatite (d-HAp). Remarkably, the dispersion of different amounts of d-HAp to PLLA produced a set of materials (PLLA/d-HAp) with similar architectures and tunable mechanical properties. After 3 weeks of culture in the absence of soluble osteogenic factors, we observed the expression of osteogenic markers, including the deposition of bone matrix proteins, in multi/pluripotent cells only grown on PLLA/d-HAp nanocomposites, whereas the osteogenic differentiation was absent on stem-cell-neat PLLA cultures. Interestingly, this phenomenon was confined only in hBM-MSCs, murine iPSCs, and ESCs grown on direct contact with the PLLA/d-HAp mats. Altogether, these results indicate that the osteogenic differentiation effect of these electrospun PLLA/d-HAp nanocomposites was independent of the stem cell type and highlight the direct interaction of stem cell-polymeric nanocomposite and the mechanical properties acquired by the PLLA/d-HAp nanocomposites as key steps for the differentiation process.

Osteogenic differentiation and bone regeneration of iPSC-MSCs supported by a biomimetic nanofibrous scaffold

“…The osteogenic induction capability of these HAp-containing nanofibers, even in the absence of osteogenic factors, has been well-documented previously [20,21]. It was found that incorporation of HAp at an amount of as low as merely 1 wt% was effective to activate the molecular signals for the onset of osteodifferentiation mechanisms of multi/pluri-potent stem cells [47]. In the present study, we devised HAp/Col/CTS electrospun …”

Tooth-derived stem cells: Update and perspectives

“…Although embryonic SCs present interesting properties, such as the ability to differentiate into hundreds of other cell types, the bioethical aspects involved in the study of these cells, especially for human embryos, have hindered advances in this field and research has thus been focused on adult SCs [1,[10][11][12] . Adult SCs can be obtained from adult specialized tissues, such as bone marrow [13][14][15][16] , skin [17,18] and fat [19][20][21][22][23] , where they likely act to renew cell populations and maintain tissue homeostasis, or help to repair the tissue in case of injury [18,24,25] . Even though adult SCs can be obtained from less ethically concerning sources, they have some limitations compared to embryonic SCs, such as more limited lifespan and differentiation potential [1,11,24,26] .…”

Hydrogen Sulfide-Releasing Fibrous Membranes: Potential Patches for Stimulating Human Stem Cells Proliferation and Viability under Oxidative Stress

“…Furthermore, DSC analyses and uniaxial tensile tests were performed on the PFM, in order to investigate the influence of GaOS and DADS on the thermal and mechanical properties of the produced fibers, respectively. Indeed, it is well known that the scaffold topographical, chemico-physical, and mechanical properties can play a pivotal role in the stem cell differentiation towards specific phenotypes as well as on the preservation of their stem cell status [54,55], even if the underneath mechanisms of this phenomenon (mechanotransduction) have not been fully comprehended and identified. The glass transition (T g ), melting (T m ), cold crystallisation (T cc ) temperatures, the melting (ΔH m ) and cold crystallization (ΔH cc ) enthalpies, and the crystallinity degree (χ), related to the first and the second heating scans, are summarised in Table 2.…”