The mechanical properties of the microenvironment and direct contact-mediated cell-cell interactions are two variables known to be important in the determination of stem cell differentiation fate, but little is known about the interplay of these cues. Here, we use a micropatterning approach on polyacrylamide gels of tunable stiffnesses to study how homotypic cell-cell contacts and mechanical stiffness affect different stages of osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Nuclear localization of transcription factors associated with osteogenesis depended on substrate stiffness and was independent of the degree of cell-cell contact. However, expression of alkaline phosphatase, an early protein marker for osteogenesis, increased only in cells with both direct contact with neighboring cells and adhesion to stiffer substrates. Finally, mature osteogenesis, as assessed by calcium deposition, was low in micropatterned cells, even on stiff substrates and in multicellular clusters. These results indicate that substrate stiffness and the presence of neighboring cells regulate osteogenesis in MSCs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.05.004 | DOI Listing |
Data Brief
December 2024
RISE PFI AS, Høgskoleringen 6B, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
This data article summarizes the material properties of some added-lignin thermoformed pulps (ALTPs). This type of molded pulp is particularly suited for replacing plastics in environments, where moisture is encountered, as the lignin reduces the transport and adsorption of water. The dataset was measured on wet formed substrates with either softwood chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) or northern bleached softwood Kraft pulp (NBSK).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExtracell Vesicles Circ Nucl Acids
September 2024
Nano-Innovation Laboratory, Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Trieste 34149, Italy.
Aim: The microenvironment effect on the tumoral-derived Extracellular Vesicle release, which is of significant interest for biomedical applications, still represents a rather unexplored field. The aim of the present work is to investigate the interrelation between extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness and the release of small EVs from cancer cells. Here, we focus on the interrelation between the ECM and small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), specifically investigating the unexplored aspect of the influence of ECM stiffness on the release of sEVs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Rev E
November 2024
Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur 741246, Nadia, West Bengal, India.
The transmission of cytoskeletal forces to the extracellular matrix through focal adhesion complexes is essential for a multitude of biological processes, such as cell migration, cell differentiation, tissue development, and cancer progression, among others. During migration, focal adhesions arrest the actin retrograde flow towards the cell interior, allowing the cell front to move forward. Here, we address a puzzling observation of the existence of two distinct phenomena: a biphasic vs a monotonic relationship of the retrograde flow and cell traction force with substrate rigidity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCells
November 2024
Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering (ITREN), Dankook University, 119 Dandae-ro, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea.
The biocompatibility of dental materials is critical for ensuring safety in clinical applications. However, standard in vitro cytotoxicity assays often rely on stiff tissue culture plastic (TCP), which does not accurately replicate the biomechanical properties of soft oral tissues. In this study, we compared human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) cultured on soft, gel-based substrates mimicking gingival tissue stiffness (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Exp Biol
December 2024
School of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK.
Animals often leap from substrates that give way under them, such as leaves, soft ground or flexible branches. This provides an added complexity for latch-mediated spring-actuated (LaMSA) jumping animals because the spring-loaded system often works so quickly that neural feedback cannot adjust for errors caused by a yielding substrate. We studied a LaMSA jumper, the grasshopper, to determine how the mechanical properties of a substrate giving way under them would affect the kinematics of the jump.
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