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      Nanotopographical Control of Stem Cell Differentiation

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          Abstract

          Stem cells have the capacity to differentiate into various lineages, and the ability to reliably direct stem cell fate determination would have tremendous potential for basic research and clinical therapy. Nanotopography provides a useful tool for guiding differentiation, as the features are more durable than surface chemistry and can be modified in size and shape to suit the desired application. In this paper, nanotopography is examined as a means to guide differentiation, and its application is described in the context of different subsets of stem cells, with a particular focus on skeletal (mesenchymal) stem cells. To address the mechanistic basis underlying the topographical effects on stem cells, the likely contributions of indirect (biochemical signal-mediated) and direct (force-mediated) mechanotransduction are discussed. Data from proteomic research is also outlined in relation to topography-mediated fate determination, as this approach provides insight into the global molecular changes at the level of the functional effectors.

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          Most cited references131

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          Geometric cues for directing the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

          Significant efforts have been directed to understanding the factors that influence the lineage commitment of stem cells. This paper demonstrates that cell shape, independent of soluble factors, has a strong influence on the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow. When exposed to competing soluble differentiation signals, cells cultured in rectangles with increasing aspect ratio and in shapes with pentagonal symmetry but with different subcellular curvature-and with each occupying the same area-display different adipogenesis and osteogenesis profiles. The results reveal that geometric features that increase actomyosin contractility promote osteogenesis and are consistent with in vivo characteristics of the microenvironment of the differentiated cells. Cytoskeletal-disrupting pharmacological agents modulate shape-based trends in lineage commitment verifying the critical role of focal adhesion and myosin-generated contractility during differentiation. Microarray analysis and pathway inhibition studies suggest that contractile cells promote osteogenesis by enhancing c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular related kinase (ERK1/2) activation in conjunction with elevated wingless-type (Wnt) signaling. Taken together, this work points to the role that geometric shape cues can play in orchestrating the mechanochemical signals and paracrine/autocrine factors that can direct MSCs to appropriate fates.
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            The ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway as a master regulator of the G1- to S-phase transition.

            The Ras-dependent extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway plays a central role in cell proliferation control. In normal cells, sustained activation of ERK1/ERK2 is necessary for G1- to S-phase progression and is associated with induction of positive regulators of the cell cycle and inactivation of antiproliferative genes. In cells expressing activated Ras or Raf mutants, hyperactivation of the ERK1/2 pathway elicits cell cycle arrest by inducing the accumulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which activated ERK1/ERK2 regulate growth and cell cycle progression of mammalian somatic cells. We also highlight the findings obtained from gene disruption studies.
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              Focal Contacts as Mechanosensors

              The transition of cell–matrix adhesions from the initial punctate focal complexes into the mature elongated form, known as focal contacts, requires GTPase Rho activity. In particular, activation of myosin II–driven contractility by a Rho target known as Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) was shown to be essential for focal contact formation. To dissect the mechanism of Rho-dependent induction of focal contacts and to elucidate the role of cell contractility, we applied mechanical force to vinculin-containing dot-like adhesions at the cell edge using a micropipette. Local centripetal pulling led to local assembly and elongation of these structures and to their development into streak-like focal contacts, as revealed by the dynamics of green fluorescent protein–tagged vinculin or paxillin and interference reflection microscopy. Inhibition of Rho activity by C3 transferase suppressed this force-induced focal contact formation. However, constitutively active mutants of another Rho target, the formin homology protein mDia1 (Watanabe, N., T. Kato, A. Fujita, T. Ishizaki, and S. Narumiya. 1999. Nat. Cell Biol. 1:136–143), were sufficient to restore force-induced focal contact formation in C3 transferase-treated cells. Force-induced formation of the focal contacts still occurred in cells subjected to myosin II and ROCK inhibition. Thus, as long as mDia1 is active, external tension force bypasses the requirement for ROCK-mediated myosin II contractility in the induction of focal contacts. Our experiments show that integrin-containing focal complexes behave as individual mechanosensors exhibiting directional assembly in response to local force.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                J Tissue Eng
                JTE
                Journal of Tissue Engineering
                SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research
                2041-7314
                2010
                18 August 2010
                : 2010
                : 120623
                Affiliations
                1Centre for Cell Engineering, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland
                2Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Nanotechnology Centre for Mechanics in Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University, 1020 Schapiro CEPSR, 530 West 120th St., MC 8903, New York, NY 10027, USA
                3Bone and Joint Research Group, Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, Institute of Developmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hants SO16 6YD, UK
                Author notes

                Academic Editor: Vehid Salih

                Article
                10.4061/2010/120623
                3042612
                21350640
                bb39cb11-6c44-44a5-847c-50191767aaec
                Copyright © 2010 Laura E. McNamara et al.

                This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 31 May 2010
                : 16 July 2010
                Categories
                Review Article

                Biomedical engineering
                Biomedical engineering

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