title: Interpreted gene expression of human dermal fibroblasts after adipo-, chondro- and osteogenic phenotype shifts.
abstract: Autologous cell-based therapies promise important developments for reconstructive surgery. In vitro expansion as well as differentiation strategies could provide a substantial benefit to cellular therapies. Human dermal fibroblasts, considered ubiquitous connective tissue cells, can be coaxed towards different cellular fates, are readily available and may altogether be a suitable cell source for tissue engineering strategies. Global gene expression analysis was performed to investigate the changes of the fibroblast phenotype after four-week inductions toward adipocytic, osteoblastic and chondrocytic lineages. Differential gene regulation, interpreted through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, highlight important similarities and differences of induced fibroblasts compared to control cultures of human fibroblasts, adipocytes, osteoblasts and articular chondrocytes. Fibroblasts show an inherent degree of phenotype plasticity that can be controlled to obtain cells supportive of multiple tissue types.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Plastic Surgery, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Sweden. jonathan.rakar@liu.se
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rakar
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lönnqvist
authors.forename: Pehr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sommar
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Junker
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kratz
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology; D050156:Adipogenesis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D020219:Chondrogenesis; D020405:Dermis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology; D010012:Osteogenesis; D010641:Phenotype; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D023822:Tissue Engineering