ine mechano-responses more closely to various forms of mechanical forces and mechanotransduction mechanisms of these cells in a more physiologically accurate setting. Such novel methodologies will lead to better understanding of various pathological diseases, their management, and translational applications in the ever expanding field of tissue engineering.
<Go to ISI>://WOS:000261281700007
Most cells in tissues contact an extracellular matrix on at least one surface. These complex mixtures of interacting proteins provide structural support and biological signals that regulate cell differentiation and may be important for stem cell differentiation. In this study, we have grown a rhesus monkey embryonic stem cell line in the presence of various extracellular matrix components in monolayer, in a NASA-developed rotating wall vessel bioreactor in vitro, and subcutaneously in vivo. We find that individual components of the extracellular matrix, such as laminin-1 or collagen 1, do not influence the growth or morphology of the cells. In contrast, a basement membrane extract, Matrigel, containing multiple extracellular matrix components, induces the cells within 4 days to form immature glandular- and tubular-like structures, many of which contain a lumen with polarized epithelium and microvilli. Such structures were seen in vitro when the cells were grown in the bioreactor and when the cells were injected into mice. These tubular- and glandular-like structures were polarized epithelia based on immunostaining for laminin and cytokeratin. The cell aggregates and tumors also contained additional mixed populations of cells, including mesenchymal cells and neuronal cells, based on immunostaining with vimentin and neuronal markers. An extract of cartilage, containing multiple cartilage matrix components, promoted chondrogenesis in vivo where alcian blue-stained cartilage nodules could be observed. Some of these nodules stained with von Kossa, indicating that they had formed calcified cartilage. We conclude that extracellular matrices can promote the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into differentiated cells and structures that are similar to the tissue from which the matrix is derived. Such preprogramming of cell differentiation with extracellular matrices may be useful in targeting stem cells to repair specific damaged organs.
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We differentiated mouse bone marrow cells in the presence of recombinant macrophage colony stimulating (rM-CSF) factor for 14 days during the flight of space shuttle Space Transportation System (STS)-126. We tested the hypothesis that the receptor expression for M-CSF, c-Fms was reduced. We used flow cytometry to assess molecules on cells that were preserved during flight to define the differentiation state of the developing bone marrow macrophages; including CD11b, CD31, CD44, Ly6C, Ly6G, F4/80, Mac2, c-Fos as well as c-Fms. In addition, RNA was preserved during the flight and was used to perform a gene microarray. We found that there were significant differences in the number of macrophages that developed in space compared to controls maintained on Earth. We found that there were significant changes in the distribution of cells that expressed CD11b, CD31, F4/80, Mac2, Ly6C and c-Fos. However, there were no changes in c-Fms expression and no consistent pattern of advanced or retarded differentiation during space flight. We also found a pattern of transcript levels that would be consistent with a relatively normal differentiation outcome but increased proliferation by the bone marrow macrophages that were assayed after 14 days of space flight. There also was a surprising pattern of space flight influence on genes of the coagulation pathway. These data confirm that a space flight can have an impact on the in vitro development of macrophages from mouse bone marrow cells.
Stem and progenitor cells isolated from the embryonic rat cerebral cortex were immobilized by matrix entrapment in three-dimensional (3D) Type I collagen gels, and cultured in serum-free medium containing 