Effects of mechanical stimulation on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Cells (in particular osteoprogenitor and bone cells) are highly responsive to mechanical stimuli for the renewal and remodeling of bone. As such, the employment of mechanical stimulations (e.g. uniaxial and biaxial stretch, fluid shear, and hydrostatic compression) has been applied to cells to enhance osteogenic differentiation for bone repair and remodeling. It is well-accepted that the magnitudes of applied strain, frequency, cell cycle number and duration of applied strain have an influence in cell response. Several material matrices have been investigated as potential cell carriers for proliferation and differentiation for bone applications. For instance, nanofibers are popular options as they resemble native extracellular matrix (ECM) and its high area-tovolume ratio promotes protein adsorption, thereby enhancing cell adhesion. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of mechanical stimulation (cyclic strain) on human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) differentiation cultured on nanofibrous scaffolds and cast films. The hypothesis is that the degree of strain experienced by the BM-MSCs is dependent on the material surface-cell adhesion, where the substrate affects the transmission of strain to the adhered cells.