Abstract
Despite numerous attempts to use human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in the field of tissue engineering, the control of their differentiation remains challenging. Here, we investigated possible applications of a non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet (NTAPPJ) to control the differentiation of hMSCs. An air- or nitrogen-based NTAPPJ was applied to hMSCs in culture media, either directly or by media treatment in which the cells were plated after the medium was exposed to the NTAPPJ. The durations of exposure were 1, 2, and 4 min, and the control was not exposed to the NTAPPJ. The initial attachment of the cells was assessed by a water-soluble tetrazolium assay, and the gene expression in the cells was assessed through reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining. The results showed that the gene expression in the hMSCs was generally increased by the NTAPPJ exposure, but the enhancement was dependent on the conditions of the exposure, such as the source of the gas and the treatment method used. These results were attributed to the chemicals in the extracellular environment and the reactive oxygen species generated by the plasma. Hence, it was concluded that by applying the best conditions for the NTAPPJ exposure of hMSCs, the control of hMSC differentiation was possible, and therefore, exposure to an NTAPPJ is a promising method for tissue engineering.
Highlights
Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is a field that involves replacing or regenerating human cells and tissues to restore or even improve the function of the human body [1]
The Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are known to have the potential to differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, etc. [3,4,5,6], but the control of their differentiation still remains to be resolved, which will be the key to successful tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in the future
The results revealed that there were no significant differences in the results between the control group and all of the test groups except that of the hMSCs exposed for 4 min to the air-flowing non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet (NTAPPJ) by the direct method (Figure 1a)
Summary
Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is a field that involves replacing or regenerating human cells and tissues to restore or even improve the function of the human body [1]. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are derived from the bone marrow, and are often considered to be highly promising therapeutic agents in this field due to their self-renewal and multilineage differentiation capabilities [2]. The hMSCs are known to have the potential to differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, etc. [3,4,5,6], but the control of their differentiation still remains to be resolved, which will be the key to successful tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in the future.
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