title: Infiltration of mesenchymal stem cells into PEGDA hydrogel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Attachment of cells to fully hydrated hydrogel biomaterials, such as PEGDA, has proven challenging because of the hydrophobic cellular membrane.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate undifferentiated human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and hMSC-derived chondrocytes infiltrated and attached to unmodified PEGDA hydrogel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human MSCs and MSC-Cys were cultured in and on PEGDA hydrogel. Attachment was verified by SEM and confocal microscopy and was accompanied by vinculin expression, indicating the presence of focal contacts. Infiltration was confirmed by H&E and fluorescence staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cells cultured on top of PEGDA hydrogel infiltrated the material on the order of micrometers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings will aid in understanding the cell-scaffold interaction for regenerative medicine constructs.
authors.affiliation: DL Biotech USA, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yourek
authors.affiliation: Theracell, Northridge, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Xuejun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, INSIGNEO Institute for in silico Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Gwendolen C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.affiliation: College of Dental Medicine, Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jeremy J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mao
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels; C437167:poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells; PEGDA; chondrogenesis; differentiation; infiltration; vinculin