Cell number and chondrogenesis in human mesenchymal stem cell aggregates is affected by the sulfation level of heparin used as a cell coating.

ABSTRACT: For particular cell-based therapies, it may be required to culture mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) aggregates with growth factors to promote cell proliferation and/or differentiation. Heparin, a negatively charged glycosaminoglycan (GAG) is known to play an important role in sequestration of positively charged growth factors and, when incorporated within cellular aggregates, could be used to promote local availability of growth factors. We have developed a heparin-based cell coating and we believe that the electrostatic interaction between native heparin and the positively charged growth factors will result in (1) higher cell number in response to fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and 2) greater chondrogenic differentiation in response to transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), compared to a

SUBMITTER: Lei J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5532474 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature