Adipose tissue-derived stem cells retain their adipocyte differentiation potential in three-dimensional hydrogels and bioreactors

Benjamen T. O’donnell, Sara Al-Ghadban, Clara J. Ives, Michael P. L’ecuyer, Tia A. Monjure, Monica Romero-Lopez, Zhong Li, Stuart B. Goodman, Hang Lin, Rocky S. Tuan, Bruce A. Bunnell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disorder with a significant economic and healthcare impact. The knee joint is composed of cartilage and the adjoining bone, a synovial capsule, the infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP), and other connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments. Adipose tissue has recently been highlighted as a major contributor to OA through strong inflammation mediating effects. In this study, methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) constructs seeded with adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) and cultured in a 3D printed bioreactor were investigated for use in microphysiological systems to model adipose tissue in the knee joint. Four patient-derived ASC populations were seeded at a density of 20 million cells/mL in GelMA. Live/Dead and boron-dipyrromethene/4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (BODIPY/DAPI) staining of cells within the constructs demonstrated robust cell viability after 28 days in a growth (control) medium, and robust cell viability and lipid accumulation in adipogenic differentiation medium. qPCR gene expression analysis and protein analysis demonstrated an upregulated expression of key adipogenesis-associated genes. Overall, these data indicate that ASCs retain their adipogenic potential when seeded within GelMA hydrogels and cultured within perfusion bioreactors, and thus can be used in a 3D organ-on-a-chip system to study the role of the IPFP in the pathobiology of the knee OA.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1070
Pages (from-to)1-16
Number of pages16
JournalBiomolecules
Volume10
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2020

Keywords

  • Adipocytes
  • Adipose stem cells
  • Methacrylated gelatin
  • Microphysiological system
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Tissue-on-a-chip

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