title: Graphene/single-walled carbon nanotube hybrids promoting osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells by activating p38 signaling pathway.
abstract: Carbon nanomaterials are becoming increasingly significant in biomedical fields since they exhibit exceptional physicochemical and biocompatible properties. Today, the stem cells offer potentially new therapeutic approaches in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, the induction of differentiation into specific lineages remains challenging, which provoked us to explore the biomedical applications of carbon nanomaterials in stem cells. In this study, we investigated the interactions between graphene/single-walled carbon nanotube (G/SWCNT) hybrids and rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) and focused on the proliferation and differentiation of rMSCs treated with G/SWCNT hybrids. Cell viability and morphology were evaluated using cell counting kit-8 assay and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. Osteogenic differentiation evaluated by alkaline phosphatase activity of MSCs proved to be higher after treatment with G/SWCNT hybrids, and the mineralized matrix nodule formation was also enhanced. In addition, the expression levels of osteogenic-associated genes were upregulated, while the adipocyte-specific markers were downregulated. Consistent with these results, we illustrated that the effect of G/SWCNT hybrids on the process of osteogenic differentiation of rMSCs can be modulated by activating the p38 signaling pathway and inhibiting the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway. Nevertheless, our study suggests that carbon nanomaterials offer a promising platform for regenerative medicine in the near future.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wuhan Third Hospital.
authors: Xinxin
authors: X
authors: Yan
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors: Wen
authors: W
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
authors: Zengwu
authors: Z
authors: Shao
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
authors: Shuhua
authors: S
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
authors: Xianzhe
authors: X
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D006108:Graphite; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: 3D nanostructure; bone formation; carbon-based nanomaterials; stem cell therapy