Regulation of ADSC Osteoinductive Potential Using Notch Pathway Inhibition and Gene Rescue: A Potential On/Off Switch for Clinical Applications in Bone Formation and Reconstructive Efforts.

Background: Although there has been tremendous research in the ability of mesenchymal-derived adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) to form bone, less is known regarding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the osteogenic potential of ADSCs. Notch, which consists of a key family of regulatory ligands involved in bone formation, is expressed in the bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell niche and is critical for proliferation, migration, and ultimately osseous differentiation. The authors investigate how Notch impacts ADSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation to determine a translatable application of these cells in bone regeneration.