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Viscoelastic properties of human mesenchymally-derived stem cells and primary osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Darling, EM; Topel, M; Zauscher, S; Vail, TP; Guilak, F
Published in: Journal of biomechanics
January 2008

The mechanical properties of single cells play important roles in regulating cell-matrix interactions, potentially influencing the process of mechanotransduction. Recent studies also suggest that cellular mechanical properties may provide novel biological markers, or "biomarkers," of cell phenotype, reflecting specific changes that occur with disease, differentiation, or cellular transformation. Of particular interest in recent years has been the identification of such biomarkers that can be used to determine specific phenotypic characteristics of stem cells that separate them from primary, differentiated cells. The goal of this study was to determine the elastic and viscoelastic properties of three primary cell types of mesenchymal lineage (chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and adipocytes) and to test the hypothesis that primary differentiated cells exhibit distinct mechanical properties compared to adult stem cells (adipose-derived or bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells). In an adherent, spread configuration, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and adipocytes all exhibited significantly different mechanical properties, with osteoblasts being stiffer than chondrocytes and both being stiffer than adipocytes. Adipose-derived and mesenchymal stem cells exhibited similar properties to each other, but were mechanically distinct from primary cells, particularly when comparing a ratio of elastic to relaxed moduli. These findings will help more accurately model the cellular mechanical environment in mesenchymal tissues, which could assist in describing injury thresholds and disease progression or even determining the influence of mechanical loading for tissue engineering efforts. Furthermore, the identification of mechanical properties distinct to stem cells could result in more successful sorting procedures to enrich multipotent progenitor cell populations.

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Published In

Journal of biomechanics

DOI

EISSN

1873-2380

ISSN

0021-9290

Publication Date

January 2008

Volume

41

Issue

2

Start / End Page

454 / 464

Related Subject Headings

  • Viscosity
  • Osteoblasts
  • Middle Aged
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Elasticity
  • Compressive Strength
  • Chondrocytes
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Darling, E. M., Topel, M., Zauscher, S., Vail, T. P., & Guilak, F. (2008). Viscoelastic properties of human mesenchymally-derived stem cells and primary osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. Journal of Biomechanics, 41(2), 454–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2007.06.019
Darling, Eric M., Matthew Topel, Stefan Zauscher, Thomas P. Vail, and Farshid Guilak. “Viscoelastic properties of human mesenchymally-derived stem cells and primary osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes.Journal of Biomechanics 41, no. 2 (January 2008): 454–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2007.06.019.
Darling EM, Topel M, Zauscher S, Vail TP, Guilak F. Viscoelastic properties of human mesenchymally-derived stem cells and primary osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. Journal of biomechanics. 2008 Jan;41(2):454–64.
Darling, Eric M., et al. “Viscoelastic properties of human mesenchymally-derived stem cells and primary osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes.Journal of Biomechanics, vol. 41, no. 2, Jan. 2008, pp. 454–64. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2007.06.019.
Darling EM, Topel M, Zauscher S, Vail TP, Guilak F. Viscoelastic properties of human mesenchymally-derived stem cells and primary osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. Journal of biomechanics. 2008 Jan;41(2):454–464.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of biomechanics

DOI

EISSN

1873-2380

ISSN

0021-9290

Publication Date

January 2008

Volume

41

Issue

2

Start / End Page

454 / 464

Related Subject Headings

  • Viscosity
  • Osteoblasts
  • Middle Aged
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Elasticity
  • Compressive Strength
  • Chondrocytes