Mind the Viscous Modulus: The Mechanotransductive Response to the Viscous Nature of Isoelastic Matrices Regulates Stem Cell Chondrogenesis.
Adv Healthc Mater
; 13(9): e2302571, 2024 Apr.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38014647
ABSTRACT
The design of hydrogels as mimetics of tissues' matrices typically disregards the viscous nature of native tissues and focuses only on their elastic properties. In the case of stem cell chondrogenesis, this has led to contradictory results, likely due to unreported changes in the matrices' viscous modulus. Here, by employing isoelastic matrices with Young's modulus of ≈12 kPa, variations in viscous properties alone (i.e., loss tangent between 0.1 and 0.25) are demonstrated to be sufficient to drive efficient growth factor-free chondrogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells, both in 2D and 3D cultures. The increase of the viscous component of RGD-functionalized polyacrylamide or polyethylene glycol maleimide hydrogels promotes a phenotype with reduced adhesion, alters mechanosensitive signaling, and boosts cell-cell contacts. In turn, this upregulates the chondrogenic transcription factor SOX9 and supports neocartilage formation, demonstrating that the mechanotransductive response to the viscous nature of the matrix can be harnessed to direct cell fate.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Condrogénesis
/
Células Madre Mesenquimatosas
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Adv Healthc Mater
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido