In vivo, stem cells reside in a three-dimensional (3D) extracellular microenvironment in which complicated biophysical and biochemical factors regulate their behaviors. Biomimicking of the stem cell−matrix interactions is an ideal approach for controlling the stem cell fate. This study investigates the effects of the incorporation of cell-adhesive ligands in 3D self-assembling peptide hydrogels to modulate stem cell survival, proliferation, maintenance of stemness, and osteogenic differentiation. The results show that the composite hydrogels were non-cytotoxic and effective for maintaining human amniotic mesenchymal stem cell (hAMSC) survival, proliferation and phenotypic characterization. The expression levels of pluripotent markers were also upregulated in the composite hydrogels. Under inductive media conditions, mineral deposition and mRNA expression levels of osteogenic genes of hAMSCs were enhanced. The increasing expression of integrin α- and β-subunits for hAMSCs indicates that the ligand−integrin interactions may modulate the cell fate for hAMSCs in composite hydrogels.

中文翻译：

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仿生细胞粘附配体功能化肽复合水凝胶维持人羊膜间充质干细胞的干性

在体内，干细胞存在于三维 (3D) 细胞外微环境中，其中复杂的生物物理和生化因素调节它们的行为。干细胞-基质相互作用的仿生是控制干细胞命运的理想方法。本研究调查了在 3D 自组装肽水凝胶中掺入细胞粘附配体对调节干细胞存活、增殖、干细胞维持和成骨分化的影响。结果表明，复合水凝胶无细胞毒性，可有效维持人羊膜间充质干细胞（hAMSC）的存活、增殖和表型表征。复合水凝胶中多能标志物的表达水平也上调。在感应介质条件下，hAMSCs成骨基因的矿物质沉积和mRNA表达水平增强。hAMSCs 整合素 α- 和 β- 亚基的表达增加表明配体-整合素相互作用可以调节复合水凝胶中 hAMSCs 的细胞命运。