Open AccessCell adhesion and mechanical stimulation in the regulation of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation
Author(s) -
Wang YangKao,
Chen Christopher S.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of cellular and molecular medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.44
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1582-4934
pISSN - 1582-1838
DOI - 10.1111/jcmm.12061
Subject(s) - stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , mesenchymal stem cell , progenitor cell , biology , cell fate determination , cellular differentiation , clinical uses of mesenchymal stem cells , adult stem cell , multipotent stem cell , stem cell transplantation for articular cartilage repair , genetics , gene , transcription factor
Stem cells have been shown to have the potential to provide a source of cells for applications to tissue engineering and organ repair. The mechanisms that regulate stem cell fate, however, mostly remain unclear. Mesenchymal stem cells ( MSC s) are multipotent progenitor cells that are isolated from bone marrow and other adult tissues, and can be differentiated into multiple cell lineages, such as bone, cartilage, fat, muscles and neurons. Although previous studies have focused intensively on the effects of chemical signals that regulate MSC commitment, the effects of physical/mechanical cues of the microenvironment on MSC fate determination have long been neglected. However, several studies provided evidence that mechanical signals, both direct and indirect, played important roles in regulating a stem cell fate. In this review, we summarize a number of recent studies on how cell adhesion and mechanical cues influence the differentiation of MSC s into specific lineages. Understanding how chemical and mechanical cues in the microenvironment orchestrate stem cell differentiation may provide new insights into ways to improve our techniques in cell therapy and organ repair.