Aligned nanofiber scaffolds combined with cyclic stretch facilitate mesenchymal stem cell differentiation for ligament engineering

作者：Chengwei Yang, Yaqiang Zhang, Hong Chang, Rui Gao, Dan Chen, Hao Yao · 发表于：World Journal of Stem Cells · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.4252/wjsc.v17.i8.107124 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Tendon Structure and Treatment、Silk-based biomaterials and applications、Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications

BACKGROUND Tendon tissue engineering requires biomimetic scaffolds and mechanical cues to direct mesenchymal stem cell differentiation toward tenogenic lineages. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), aligned nanofiber scaffolds, and cyclic uniaxial stretching can be used to create a functional engineered ligament tissue. AIM To investigate the effects of aligned nanofiber scaffolds and cyclic stretch on BMSC tenogenesis for ligament engineering. METHODS BMSCs were cultured on aligned and random poly-lactic acid nanofiber scaffolds under static and cyclic tensile conditions (0.5 Hz, 2% strain, 2 hours/day) for 7 days using a mechanical loading system (CFILLOAD-300). The Ras homolog gene family (Rho)-associated coiled coil-containing kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y27632 was applied to explore its role in tenogenic differentiation. Scaffold morphology was assessed by scanning electron microscopy, while cell morphology, viability, and alignment were evaluated via confocal microscopy with F-actin and 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. Tenogenic gene expression (collagen type I alpha 2, collagen type III alpha 1, tenascin C, and tenomodulin) was quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and ligament-related protein levels (collagen I, collagen III, tenascin C, and tenomodulin) were analyzed by western blot. RESULTS Scanning electron microscopy revealed that aligned scaffolds provided consistent directional structure, whereas random scaffolds displayed a dis...