Human muscle stem cell responses to mechanical stress into tunable 3D alginate matrices

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules 2024-05, Vol.266 (Pt 1), p.130823-130823, Article 130823
• Main Authors: Marquis, Mélanie, Zykwinska, Agata, Novales, Bruno, Leroux, Isabelle, Schleder, Cindy, Pichon, Julien, Cuenot, Stéphane, Rouger, Karl
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alginate-based hydrogel; Alginates - chemistry; Atomic force microscopy; Biomechanics; Biotechnology; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cellular Biology; Elastic Modulus; Engineering Sciences; Humans; Hydrogels - chemistry; Life Sciences; Mechanics; Muscle stem cells; Stem Cells - cytology; Stress, Mechanical; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130823

Preclinical data acquired for human muscle stem (hMuStem) cells indicate their great repair capacity in the context of muscle injury. However, their clinical potential is limited by their moderate ability to survive after transplantation. To overcome these limitations, their encapsulation within protective environment would be beneficial. In this study, tunable calcium-alginate hydrogels obtained through molding method using external or internal gelation were investigated as a new strategy for hMuStem cell encapsulation. The mechanical properties of these hydrogels were characterized in their fully hydrated state by compression experiments using Atomic Force Microscopy. Measured elastic moduli strongly depended on the gelation mode and calcium/alginate concentrations. Values ranged from 1 to 12.5 kPa and 3.9 to 25 kPa were obtained for hydrogels prepared following internal and external gelation, respectively. Also, differences in mechanical properties of hydrogels resulted from their internal organization, with an isotropic structure for internal gelation, while external mode led to anisotropic one. It was further shown that viability, morphological and myogenic differentiation characteristics of hMuStem cells incorporated within alginate hydrogels were preserved after their release. These results highlight that hMuStem cells encapsulated in calcium-alginate hydrogels maintain their functionality, thus allowing to develop muscle regeneration protocols to improve their therapeutic efficacy. •Comparative study of the impact of gelation mode (external vs. internal) on physical properties of Ca-alginate hydrogels•Evaluation of the mechanical, structural and diffusion properties of Ca-alginate hydrogels for Muscle Stem cell encapsulation•Ca-alginate hydrogels possess distinct internal structures (anisotropic vs isotropic) depending on the gelation mode•Ca-alginate hydrogels with elastic modulus close to the skeletal muscle preserve properties of encapsulated hMuStem cells