Effect of matrix stiffness on the proliferation and differentiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells.

Effect of matrix stiffness on the proliferation and differentiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. Differentiation. 2017 Jul 21;96:30-39 Authors: Xu J, Sun M, Tan Y, Wang H, Wang H, Li P, Xu Z, Xia Y, Li L, Li Y Abstract Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a compatible cellular alternative for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering because of their powerful multipotency. Matrix stiffness plays a profound role on stem cell behavior. Nevertheless, the effect of matrix stiffness on umbilical cordmesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) remains unexplored. To conduct an in-depth exploration, we cultured UC-MSCs on different stiffness (Young's modulus: 13-16, 35-38, 48-53, and 62-68 kPa) polyacrylamide gels coated with fibronectin. We found that the proliferation and adhesion of UC-MSCs varied when cultured on the different matrices, and the spreading capacity was stronger as the stiffness increased (*P<0.05). Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that the soft matrix promoted adipogenic differentiation, with higher expression levels of adipocytic markers like PPARγ and C/EBPα (*P<0.05). In contrast, cells tended to differentiate into muscle when cultured on the 48-53 kPa matrix, which was validated by increased expression of myogenic makers like desminand MOYG (*P<0.05). Moreover, increased expression of osteoblastic makers (*P<0.05), such as ALP, collagen type I, osteocalcin, and Runx2, confirmed that cells diff...
Source: Differentiation - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Differentiation Source Type: research