title: Pressureless mechanical induction of stem cell differentiation is dose and frequency dependent.
abstract: Movement is a key characteristic of higher organisms. During mammalian embryogenesis fetal movements have been found critical to normal tissue development. On the single cell level, however, our current understanding of stem cell differentiation concentrates on inducing factors through cytokine mediated biochemical signaling. In this study, human mesenchymal stem cells and chondrogenesis were investigated as representative examples. We show that pressureless, soft mechanical stimulation precipitated by the cyclic deformation of soft, magnetic hydrogel scaffolds with an external magnetic field, can induce chondrogenesis in mesenchymal stem cells without any additional chondrogenesis transcription factors (TGF-β1 and dexamethasone). A systematic study on the role of movement frequency revealed a classical dose-response relationship for human mesenchymal stem cells differentiation towards cartilage using mere mechanical stimulation. This effect could even be synergistically amplified when exogenous chondrogenic factors and movement were combined.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fuhrer
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hild
authors.forename: Jolanda R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Vetsch
authors.forename: Inge K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Robert N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Grass
authors.forename: Wendelin J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Stark
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D020219:Chondrogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate