Impact Factor: 10.6

DOI number: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.11.001

Journal: Acta Biomaterialia

Key Words: magnetic nanocomposite hydrogel fe3o4 magnetic nanoparticles matrix stiffening human mesenchymal stem cells morphology differentiation elasticity ph mechanotransduction mobility surface ligand

Abstract: As cells have the capacity to respond to their mechanical environment, cellular biological behaviors can be regulated by the stiffness of extracellular matrix. Moreover, biological processes are dynamic and accompanied by matrix stiffening. Herein, we developed a stiffening cell culture platform based on polyacrylamide-Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite hydrogel with tunable stiffness under the application of magnetic field. This platform provided a wide range of tunable stiffness (-0.3-20 kPa) covering most of human tissue elasticity with a high biocompatibility. Overall, the increased magnetic interactions between magnetic nanoparticles reduced the pore size of the hydrogel and enhanced the hydrogel stiffness, thereby facilitating the adhesion and spreading of stem cells, which was attributed to the F-actin assembly and vinculin recruitment. Such stiffening cell culture platform provides dynamic mechanical environments for probing the cellular response to matrix stiffening, and benefits studies of dynamic biological processes.

Co-author: Rao Depeng,Chen Ye,Wang Yu

First Author: Yan Tianhao

Indexed by: Journal paper

Correspondence Author: Zhang Qingchuan*,Wu Shangquan*

Volume: 138

Page Number: 112-123

Translation or Not: no

Date of Publication: 2022-05-01

Included Journals: SCI

Links to published journals: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S174270612100742X