Synovial stem cells and their responses to the porosity of microfibrous scaffold

Abstract

Tissue-specific stem cells can be coaxed or harvested for tissue regeneration. In this study, we identified and characterized a new type of stem cells from the synovial membrane of knee joint, named neural crest cell-like synovial stem cells (NCCL-SSCs). NCCL-SSCs showed the characteristics of neural crest stem cells: they expressed markers such as Sox10, Sox17, and S100, were clonable, and could differentiate into neural lineages as well as mesenchymal lineages, although NCCL-SSCs were not derived from neural crest during the development. When treated with transforming growth factor 1 (TGF-1), NCCL-SSCs differentiated into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), lost the expression of Sox17 and the differentiation potential into neural lineages, but retained the potential of differentiating into mesenchymal lineages. To determine the responses of NCCL-SSCs to microfibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering, electrospun composite scaffolds with various porosities were fabricated by co-electrospinning of structural and sacrificial microfibers. The increase of the porosity in microfibrous scaffolds enhanced cell infiltration in vitro and in vivo, but did not affect the morphology and the proliferation of NCCL-SSCs. Interestingly, microfibrous scaffolds with higher porosity increased the expression of chondrogenic and osteogenic genes but suppressed smooth muscle and adipogenic genes. These results suggest that the differentiation of NCCL-SSCs can be controlled by both soluble chemical factors and biophysical factors such as the porosity of the scaffold. Engineering both NCCL-SSCs and scaffolds will have tremendous potential for tissue regeneration.

Genomic Responses of Mouse Synovial Fibroblasts During Tumor Necrosis Factor–Driven Arthritogenesis Greatly Mimic Those in Human Rheumatoid Arthritis

“…In concert with the above‐described functional highlights, we also found highly significant examples of mesenchymal differentiation processes and the innate immune response among the functions enriched in differentially methylated and expressed genes. Sox10 , through methylation‐dependent transcription, has been implicated as a suppressor of stemness by binding to β‐catenin; it is also expressed by a novel rat synovial stem cell population capable of giving rise to mesenchymal lineages . Moreover, this is the first report of the methylation‐modulated expression of TLR‐2, a known innate immune–sensing receptor in synovial fibroblasts, as observed in other inflammatory conditions .…”

End-point immobilization of heparin on plasma-treated surface of electrospun polycarbonate-urethane vascular graft

“…Aminolyzed grafts were subsequently washed thoroughly with 70% EtOH followed by distilled water. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry was performed with a FTIR spectrometer (Nicolet Avatar 360, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA) as described previously to verify the presence of amine functional groups on the graft surface (data not shown) (48). Lastly, 30 mg/mL of unfragmented heparin sodium (Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) was covalently conjugated to the free amines on the surface of aminolyzed grafts via EDC and Sulfo-NHS (Pierce Biotechnology, Rockford, IL) as described previously (49).…”

Surface modification on polycaprolactone electrospun mesh and human decalcified bone scaffold with synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells-affinity peptide for tissue engineering

“…SMSCs are considered a good cell source for cartilage regeneration because of their high proliferation rates and chondrogenic potential, as demonstrated by many studies , . Although several studies show that SMSCs possess some capacity to migrate toward damaged sites, the problems of homing, engraftment, and function remain when adopting SMSCs as a cell source for cartilage regeneration.…”