Influence of Different ECM-Like Hydrogels on Neurite Outgrowth Induced by Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells

• Published in: Stem cells international Vol. 2017; no. 2017; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Salgado, Antonio, Silva, Nuno A., Teixeira, F. G., Gomes, Eduardo D., Ziv-Polat, Ofra, Assunção-Silva, R. C., Oliveira, E., Shahar, Abraham
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2017; Hindawi; Hindawi Limited; Wiley
• Subjects: Adipocytes; Adipose tissue; Axons; Biomaterials; Biomedical materials; Body fat; Extracellular matrix; Fibronectin; Gellan gum; Gels (Pharmacy); Gene expression; Growth factors; Hydrogels; Laminin; Modulators; Regeneration; Spinal cord; Spinal cord injuries; Stem cells; Survival; Transplantation; Viability
• ISSN: 1687-966X; 1687-9678; 1687-9678
• DOI: 10.1155/2017/6319129

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed for spinal cord injury (SCI) applications due to their capacity to secrete growth factors and vesicles—secretome—that impacts important phenomena in SCI regeneration. To improve MSC survival into SCI sites, hydrogels have been used as transplantation vehicles. Herein, we hypothesized if different hydrogels could interact differently with adipose tissue-derived MSCs (ASCs). The efficacy of three natural hydrogels, gellan gum (functionalized with a fibronectin peptide), collagen, and a hydrogel rich in laminin epitopes (NVR-gel) in promoting neuritogenesis (alone and cocultured with ASCs), was evaluated in the present study. Their impact on ASC survival, metabolic activity, and gene expression was also evaluated. Our results indicated that all hydrogels supported ASC survival and viability, being this more evident for the functionalized GG hydrogels. Moreover, the presence of different ECM-derived biological cues within the hydrogels appears to differently affect the mRNA levels of growth factors involved in neuronal survival, differentiation, and axonal outgrowth. All the hydrogel-based systems supported axonal growth mediated by ASCs, but this effect was more robust in functionalized GG. The data herein presented highlights the importance of biological cues within hydrogel-based biomaterials as possible modulators of ASC secretome and its effects for SCI applications.