Collagen-Based Medical Device as a Stem Cell Carrier for Regenerative Medicine

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2017-10, Vol.18 (10), p.2210
• Main Authors: Aubert, Léa, Dubus, Marie, Rammal, Hassan, Bour, Camille, Mongaret, Céline, Boulagnon-Rombi, Camille, Garnotel, Roselyne, Schneider, Céline, Rahouadj, Rachid, Laurent, Cedric, Gangloff, Sophie C, Velard, Frédéric, Mauprivez, Cedric, Kerdjoudj, Halima
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal biology; biocompatibility; Bioengineering; Biomaterials; Biomechanics; Biotechnology; Cell Behavior; Cell culture; Cellular Biology; Collagen; Collagen (type I); Computer simulation; Engineering Sciences; Foams; Imaging; Life Sciences; Materials; Materials and structures in mechanics; Mechanical properties; Mechanics; Mechanics of materials; medical device; Medical devices; Medical equipment; Mesenchyme; Modulus of elasticity; paracrine activities; Physics; Plastics; Regenerative medicine; Solid mechanics; stem cell niche; Stem cells; Stiffness; Structural mechanics; Subcellular Processes; Tissue culture; Tissue engineering; Transplantation; Veterinary medicine and animal Health; Vibrations
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms18102210

Maintenance of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) requires a tissue-specific microenvironment (i.e., niche), which is poorly represented by the typical plastic substrate used for two-dimensional growth of MSCs in a tissue culture flask. The objective of this study was to address the potential use of collagen-based medical devices (HEMOCOLLAGENE , Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France) as mimetic niche for MSCs with the ability to preserve human MSC stemness in vitro. With a chemical composition similar to type I collagen, HEMOCOLLAGENE foam presented a porous and interconnected structure (>90%) and a relative low elastic modulus of around 60 kPa. Biological studies revealed an apparently inert microenvironment of HEMOCOLLAGENE foam, where 80% of cultured human MSCs remained viable, adopted a flattened morphology, and maintained their undifferentiated state with basal secretory activity. Thus, three-dimensional HEMOCOLLAGENE foams present an in vitro model that mimics the MSC niche with the capacity to support viable and quiescent MSCs within a low stiffness collagen I scaffold simulating Wharton's jelly. These results suggest that haemostatic foam may be a useful and versatile carrier for MSC transplantation for regenerative medicine applications.