The intrinsic properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) make them ideal candidates for tissue engineering applications. Efforts have been made to control MSC behavior by using material systems to engineer synthetic extracellular matrices and/or include soluble factors in the media. This work proposes a simple approach based on ion transporter stimulation to determine stem cell fate that avoids the use of growth factors. Addition of borax alone, transported by the NaBC1-transporter, enhanced MSC adhesion and contractility, promoted osteogenesis and inhibited adipogenesis. Stimulated-NaBC1 promoted osteogenesis via the BMP canonical pathway (comprising Smad1/YAP nucleus translocation and osteopontin expression) through a mechanism that involves simultaneous NaBC1/BMPR1A and NaBC1/α₅β₁/α_vβ₃ co-localization. We describe an original function for NaBC1 transporter, besides controlling borate homeostasis, capable of stimulating growth factor receptors and fibronectin-binding integrins. Our results open up new biomaterial engineering approaches for biomedical applications by a cost-effective strategy that avoids the use of soluble growth factors.

间充质干细胞（MSCs）的固有特性使其成为组织工程应用的理想候选者。已经通过使用材料系统工程化合成的细胞外基质和/或在培养基中包括可溶性因子来努力控制MSC的行为。这项工作提出了一种基于离子转运蛋白刺激的简单方法，可确定避免使用生长因子的干细胞命运。由NaBC1转运蛋白单独转运的硼砂，增强了MSC的粘附和收缩力，促进了成骨作用并抑制了脂肪形成。受激NaBC1经由BMP经典途径（包括的Smad1 / YAP核易位和骨桥蛋白的表达）通过一种机制，涉及同时NaBC1 / BMPR1A和NaBC1 /α促进成骨₅ β ₁/α _v β ₃的共定位。我们描述了NaBC1转运蛋白的原始功能，除了控制硼酸稳态，还能够刺激生长因子受体和纤连蛋白结合整联蛋白。我们的结果通过避免使用可溶性生长因子的具有成本效益的策略，为生物医学应用开辟了新的生物材料工程方法。