title: Electro-magnetic field promotes osteogenic differentiation of BM-hMSCs through a selective action on Ca(2+)-related mechanisms.
abstract: Exposure to Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) has been shown to affect proliferation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow stroma (BM-hMSC). These cells offer considerable promise in the field of regenerative medicine, but their clinical application is hampered by major limitations such as poor availability and the time required to differentiate up to a stage suitable for implantation. For this reason, several research efforts are focusing on identifying strategies to speed up the differentiation process. In this work we investigated the in vitro effect of PEMF on Ca(2+)-related mechanisms promoting the osteogenic differentiation of BM-hMSC. Cells were daily exposed to PEMF while subjected to osteogenic differentiation and various Ca(2+)-related mechanisms were monitored using multiple approaches for identifying functional and structural modifications related to this process. The results indicate that PEMF exposure promotes chemically induced osteogenesis by mechanisms that mainly interfere with some of the calcium-related osteogenic pathways, such as permeation and regulation of cytosolic concentration, leaving others, such as extracellular deposition, unaffected. The PEMF effect is primarily associated to early enhancement of intracellular calcium concentration, which is proposed here as a reliable hallmark of the osteogenic developmental stage.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petecchia
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sbrana
authors.affiliation: Institute for Macromolecular Studies, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Utzeri
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Molecular Medicine, Centre for Health Technologies (C.H.T.), INSTM UdR of Pavia, University of Pavia, Italy.|Dept. of Occupational Medicine, Ergonomy and Disability, Laboratory of Nanotechnology, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vercellino
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Usai
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Molecular Medicine, Centre for Health Technologies (C.H.T.), INSTM UdR of Pavia, University of Pavia, Italy.|Dept. of Occupational Medicine, Ergonomy and Disability, Laboratory of Nanotechnology, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Visai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vassalli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gavazzo
mesh_terms: D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D003470:Culture Media; D002118:Calcium