Abstract
Specific microenvironments can trigger stem cell tenogenic differentiation, such as specific substrates or dynamic cell cultivation. Electrospun meshes composed by core–shell fibers (random or aligned; PDMS core; piezoelectric PVDFhfp shell) were fabricated by coaxial electrospinning. Elastic modulus and residual strain were assessed. Human ASCs were seeded on such scaffolds either under static conditions for 1 week or with subsequent 10% dynamic stretching for 10,800 cycles (1 Hz, 3 h), assessing load elongation curves in a Bose® bioreactor system. Gene expression for tenogenic expression, extracellular matrix, remodeling, pro-fibrotic and inflammatory marker genes were assessed (PCR). For cell-seeded meshes, the E modulus increased from 14 ± 3.8 MPa to 31 ± 17 MPa within 3 h, which was not observed for cell-free meshes. Random fibers resulted in higher tenogenic commitment than aligned fibers. Dynamic cultivation significantly enhanced pro-inflammatory markers. Compared to ASCs in culture flasks, ASCs on random meshes under static cultivation showed a significant upregulation of Mohawk, Tenascin-C and Tenomodulin. The tenogenic commitment expressed by human ASCs in contact with random PVDFhfp/PDMS paves the way for using this novel highly elastic material as an implant to be wrapped around a lacerated tendon, envisioned as a functional anti-adhesion membrane.
Highlights
IntroductionMajor characteristics of tendon tissue are the absence of vessels, very few tendon cells with low metabolic turnover and a poor healing capacity [1]
Introduction published maps and institutional affilMajor characteristics of tendon tissue are the absence of vessels, very few tendon cells with low metabolic turnover and a poor healing capacity [1]
We present a novel coaxially electrospun core–shell PVDFhfp/PDMS scaffold material, which is highly elastic and can potentially be used as a wrap around surgically sutured tendons after repair
Summary
Major characteristics of tendon tissue are the absence of vessels, very few tendon cells with low metabolic turnover and a poor healing capacity [1]. Tendons recover with conservative healing or surgical repair. For flexor tendon surgical repair, a major issue consists in the adhesion of the new forming matrix to the surrounding tissue [2], leading to a compromised range of motion and joint stiffness [2]. With regard to tendon repair optimization, stem cell therapy is becoming increasingly popular [4,5] due to the ability of stem cells to differentiate toward a tendon-like phenotype known as tenogenic lineage when appropriately stimulated through external cues. Tenogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) was achieved by supplementing growth factors to the culture medium, such as growth and differentiation factor-5 (GDF-5) [6]
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