Synergistic effect of decellularized annulus fibrosus (AF) matrix and substrate stiffness on the gene expression of rabbit AF stem cells

摘要

Objective: Decellularized matrices (DCM) have been widely used for engineering functional tissues, mainly due to the similarity of biochemical composition and microstructure between them and native extracellular matrix (ECM) in vivo. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties of substrate play an important role in regulating cell behavior such as adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and migration. Here, we aimed to study the combined effect of DCM and substrate stiffness on the behaviors of newly identified rabbit AF-derived stem cells (AFSCs).