DEVELOPMENT, FABRICATION AND BIOLOGICAL VALIDATION OF A NEW NICHOID SCAFFOLD FOR ADIPOSE-DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS

INTRODUCTION: Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (hADSCs) represent a promising source for cell therapies because their availability is less invasive compared to the one from other organs or tissue. In the body, SCs reside in a specialized microenvironment, characterized by a unique combination of biophysical and biochemical properties. Recently, biomaterials have been used to create 3D micro-scaffolds, which mimic the biomechanical characteristics of SC niches. In this context, the micro-niche “Nichoid” has shown the ability to induce pluripotency in SCs thanks to the isotropic mechanical stimuli (1,2). The aim of this study was to investigate the proliferation and stemness properties of hADSCs expanded inside these engineered niches with a cubic-pore configuration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: hADSCs expanded inside these engineered niches with a cubic-pore configuration. Nichoids were fabricated by two-photon polymerization using a biocompatible photoresist (3). hADSCs were isolated from lipoaspiarate adipose tissue obtained by liposuction performed in voluntary subjects. Cells expanded inside the cubic Nichoid have been characterized by viability assay, Real Time PCR and immunofluorescence analysis. Furthermore, neural differentiation was also investigated. RESULTS: The expansion inside the cubic 3D micro-scaffold permits the potentiation of stemness features by upregulating the expression of pluripotency genes. Furthermore, cells expanded could be easily collected in order to be transplanted. Our findings represent a great promise for the Nichoid’s application in the field of regenerative medicine, in particular in neurodegenerative diseases as Parkinson’s disease and Spinal Cord Injury.