title: Influence of porcine intervertebral disc matrix on stem cell differentiation.
abstract: For back disorders, cell therapy is one approach for a real regeneration of a degenerated nucleus pulposus. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) could be differentiated into nucleus pulposus (NP)-like cells and used for cell therapy. Therefore it is necessary to find a suitable biocompatible matrix, which supports differentiation. It could be shown that a differentiation of hMSC in a microbial transglutaminase cross-linked gelatin matrix is possible, but resulted in a more chondrocyte-like cell type. The addition of porcine NP extract to the gelatin matrix caused a differentiation closer to the desired NP cell phenotype. This concludes that a hydrogel containing NP extract without any other supplements could be suitable for differentiation of hMSCs into NP cells. The NP extract itself can be cross-linked by transglutaminase to build a hydrogel free of NP atypical substrates. As shown by side-specific biotinylation, the NP extract contains molecules with free glutamine and lysine residues available for the transglutaminase.
authors: Institute of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen, Wiesenstraße 14, 35390 Giessen, Germany. denise.salzig@kmub.th-mittelhessen.de.
authors: Denise
authors: D
authors: Salzig
authors: Institute of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen, Wiesenstraße 14, 35390 Giessen, Germany. alexandra.schmiermund@kmub.th-mittelhessen.de.
authors: Alexandra
authors: A
authors: Schmiermund
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences, 64297 Darmstadt, Germany. gebauer-elke@gmx.de.
authors: Elke
authors: E
authors: Gebauer
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences, 64297 Darmstadt, Germany. fuchsbauer@h-da.de.
authors: Hans-Lothar
authors: HL
authors: Fuchsbauer
authors: Institute of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen, Wiesenstraße 14, 35390 Giessen, Germany. peter.czermak@kmub.th-mittelhessen.de.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Czermak