Hydrogels with adjustable mechanical properties provide a huge opportunity for regulating stem cell differentiation. Currently, hydrogels with osteoid (about 30-40 kPa) or higher hardness are usually required to induce osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Due to very low environmental mechanical stimulation and restricted cell mechanical transduction, it is difficult to achieve the same differentiation on a very soft hydrogel. Here, Zhao Weifeng and Wei Qiang of Sichuan University used controllable ligand spacing to stimulate cell mechanical transduction and promote the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells on soft hydrogels.

Key points of this article:

1) Adjust the cell-space sensing of integrin adhesion ligands by quasi-hexagonal arrangement of nano-patterns to promote the mechanical sensing of the hydrogel with low stiffness (about 3kpa) by cells.

2) It has been shown that increased ligand spacing can regulate actomyosin force load to recruit additional integrins on the soft hydrogel. Therefore, it activates mechanical transduction and promotes the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs on the soft hydrogel, the level of which is comparable to that observed for osteoid stiffness. This work opens up new possibilities for the design of biomaterials and tissue scaffolds for regenerative therapy.

references:

Man Zhang, et al., Controllable ligand spacing stimulates cellular mechanotransduction and promotes stem cell osteogenic differentiation on soft hydrogels. Biomaterials 2020.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120543

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