| Title | Effect of cell density on mesenchymal stem cells aggregation in RGD-alginate 3D matrices under osteoinductive conditions |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| 2014 |
| Authors | Maia, FR, Lourenço, AH, Granja, PL, Gonçalves, RM, Barrias, CC |
| Journal | Macromolecular Bioscience |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pagination | 759 - 771 |
| Date Published | 2014 |
| alginate hydrogels, encapsulation, Self-assembly, Tissue engineering |
| Cellular activities in 3D are differentially affected by several matrix-intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This study highlights the relevance of optimizing initial cell densities when establishing 3D cultures for specific applications. Independently of the entrapping density, MSCs cultured within RGD-alginate hydrogels showed steady-state levels of metabolic activity and were in a nearly non-proliferative state, but recovered "normal" activity levels when retrieved from 3D matrices and re-cultured as monolayers. Importantly, high-densities promoted the establishment of cell-cell contacts with formation of multicellular clusters stabilized by endogenous ECM, and also stimulated MSCs osteogenic differentiation. These MSC-ECM microtissues may be used as building blocks for tissue engineering. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. |
| http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84902536382&partnerID=40&md5=d6659c40247c561753aca566f938d788 |
