Magnetic Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Directing Myofibroblast Activity in Adipose‐Derived Stem Cells

Abstract

Dynamic cell‐culture materials that can change mechanical properties in response to extrinsic stimuli are emerging as promising tools for cell and tissue engineering research. However, most of these techniques involve a one‐way stiffening or softening through changes in the materials chemistry, which does not allow reversibility. Here, the incorporation of superparamagnetic iron‐oxide nanoparticles within poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels as dynamic cell culture materials is demonstrated. Using simple permanent magnets and adipose‐derived stem cells, a near twofold increase in cell spread area and an accompanying 20% enrichment in cells expressing alpha‐smooth muscle actin is seen. This platform provides a means to study relationships between dynamic stiffening and cell behavior, using permanent magnets and clinically viable composite materials, with scope for use as a tool to enrich the myofibroblast population in stromal cells.

Magnetic Nanofibrous Hydrogels for Dynamic Control of Stem Cell Differentiation

“…Adipose derived stem cell (ADSC), the largest source of easily isolatable adult stem cells, are widely used for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering as they can self-renew and differentiate into various cell types, such as osteoblasts, , adipocytes, , chondrocytes, , and smooth muscle cells. , A major challenge in this field is guiding their differentiation into specific cell types and maintaining their specialized characteristics in synthetic 3D environments, such as model tissue scaffolds. To address this issue, we have used fiber loaded gels to evaluate the differentiation potential of ADSC into osteogenic and adipogenic linage.…”

Continuum Robots and Magnetic Soft Robots: From Models to Interdisciplinary Challenges for Medical Applications

“…Mathematical models are pivotal across multiple disciplines, including biomedical engineering, material science, chemistry, computer science, and pharmacology. In biomedical engineering, for instance, magnetic soft robotics models are instrumental in predicting interactions with complex biological tissues, offering precise simulations of cellular growth dynamics crucial for tissue engineering [ 214 , 215 ]. Within material science, these models aid in forecasting the performance of novel magnetic materials, particularly under extreme conditions [ 216 ].…”

Multifunctional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Dynamic Imaging and Therapy

“…Precise emulation and understanding of such phenomena grant the advancement of spatiotemporal on-demand therapy and provide unprecedented insight to the field of nanobiomedicine. In this section, up-todate studies of magnetic in situ stem cell regulation [87,88] and immunoregulation [89] are classified based on the controlled nanoscale system parameters. Typically, studies that dynamically change the "inherent features" of the magnetic system are sorted as "magnetic control of dynamic nanoscale features."…”

“…Precise emulation and understanding of such phenomena grant the advancement of spatiotemporal on‐demand therapy and provide unprecedented insight to the field of nanobiomedicine. In this section, up‐to‐date studies of magnetic in situ stem cell regulation [ 87,88 ] and immunoregulation [ 89 ] are classified based on the controlled nanoscale system parameters. Typically, studies that dynamically change the “inherent features” of the magnetic system are sorted as “magnetic control of dynamic nanoscale features.” Moreover, those that dynamically regulate the “nanoscale accessibility” of the cells via change of physical cues are categorized under “magnetic control of nanoscale accessibility.” Researches also controlled the differentiation of embryonic stem cells [ 90,91 ] toward regenerative therapies.…”