Thermoresponsive Substrates Used for the Growth and Controlled Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

This communication outlines the advances made in the development of thermoresponsive substrates for human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) expansion and subsequent controlled specific and multilineage differentiation from a previous study performed by this group. Previously, the development of an inexpensive and technically accessible method for hMSC expansion and harvesting was reported, using the solvent casting deposition method and thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). Here, the logical continuation of this work is reported with the multipassage expansion of hMSCs with phenotypic maintenance followed by induced adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation. Interestingly, 1 μm thick solvent cast films are not only capable of hosting an expanding population of phenotypically preserved hMSCs similar to tissue culture plastic controls, but also the cells detached via temperature control better maintain their ability to differentiate compared to conventionally trypsinized cells. This approach to hMSC expansion and differentiation can be highly attractive to stem cell researchers where clinical therapies have seen a collective deviation away from the employment of animal derived products such as proteolytic trypsin. Here, the expansion and gentle detachment of hMSCs on/from thermoresponsive platforms is charted to include subsequent controlled specific and multilineage differentiation. The simple technique and the avoidance of animal-derived detachment products make this approach easily reproducible and desirable for possible clinical cell therapies.