Loss of multipotency in adipose-derived stem cells after culture in temperature-responsive injectable polymer hydrogels

摘要

The maintenance of stem cells multipotency and control of the differentiation direction are important for these applications in tissue engineering. We explored whether the multipotency of adipose derived stem cells (AdSCs) is maintained when they are removed from injectable polymer (IP) hydrogels with various degrees of cross-linking and induced to differentiate into osteoblasts and adipocytes. We confirmed that AdSCs cultured in IP hydrogels maintained an undifferentiated state. However, when cultured in an IP hydrogel, their multipotency was reduced.