Soft substrate maintains proliferative and adipogenic differentiation potential of human mesenchymal stem cells on long-term expansion by delaying senescence

Sanjay Kumar Kureel, Pankaj Mogha, Akshada Khadpekar, Vardhman Kumar, Rohit Joshi, Siddhartha Das, Jayesh Bellare, Abhijit Majumder

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), during in vitro expansion, gradually lose their distinct spindle morphology, self-renewal ability, multi-lineage differentiation potential and enter replicative senescence. This loss of cellular function is a major roadblock for clinical applications which demand cells in large numbers. Here, we demonstrate a novel role of substrate stiffness in the maintenance of hMSCs over long-term expansion. When serially passaged for 45 days from passage 3 to passage 18 on polyacrylamide gel of Young’s modulus E=5 kPa, hMSCs maintained their proliferation rate and showed nine times higher population doubling in comparison to their counterparts cultured on plastic Petri-plates. They did not express markers of senescence, maintained their morphology and other mechanical properties such as cell stiffness and cellular traction, and were significantly superior in adipogenic differentiation potential. These results were demonstrated in hMSCs from two different sources, umbilical cord and bone marrow. In summary, our result shows that a soft gel is a suitable substrate to maintain the stemness of mesenchymal stem cells. As preparation of polyacrylamide gel is a well-established, and well-standardized protocol, we propose that this novel system of cell expansion will be useful in therapeutic and research applications of hMSCs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberbio039453
JournalBiology Open
Volume8
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cell mechanics
  • Mesenchymal stem cells
  • Senescence
  • Stemness
  • Substrate rigidity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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