APPLICATION OF POLYETHYLENE-GLYCOL LINKED MULTI-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES FOR IMPROVED STEM CELL DIFFERENTIATION

Abstract

POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL LINKED MULTI-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBE (PEG-CNT) FILMS ALONE COULD DIRECT THE SKELETAL MYOGENIC DIFFERENTIATION OF HUMAN MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS (HMSCS), EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF MYOGENIC INDUCTION FACTORS. TO ENHANCE THE MYOGENIC DIFFERENTIATION OF HMSCS, WE DESIGNED AND FABRICATED A PEG-CNTS COATED POLY-ACRYLAMIDE HYDROGEL WITH CLOSE STIFFNESS TO HUMAN MUSCLE (CNT-PA-M) AND SPONTANEOUS MYOGENESIS OF HMSCS ON CNT-PA-M WAS OBSERVED. AS A RESULT, PEG-CNTS COATED POLY-ACRYLAMIDE HYDROGEL WITH CALIBRATED STIFFNESS THAT MIMICKED HEALTHY HUMAN LIVER (CNT-PA-L) WAS PREPARED AND EXAMINED FOR ITS EFFECT ON MODULATING DIFFERENTIATION OF HUMAN AMNIOTIC EPITHELIAL CELLS (HAECS) INTO FUNCTIONAL HEPATOCYTE-LIKE CELLS (HLCS). THE HLCS ON CNT-PA-L LOST PLURIPOTENT MARKERS AND UP-REGULATED SEVERAL HEPATIC MARKERS. FURTHERMORE, THE HLCS ON CNT-PA-L DEMONSTRATED FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES OF HEPATOCYTES. TAKEN TOGETHER, CNT-PA-L PROVIDES AN EFFICIENT AND SCALABLE PLATFORM FOR THE EXPANSION