DEPARTAMENTO DE CIÊNCIAS DA VIDA ... - Estudo Geral

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isolation of hUCM-MSCs was ever done before in PA hydrogels to the best of our
knowledge. We can conclude that FN together with substrate stiffness have an
important role in the initial proliferation impulse of hMSCs when cultured on soft
substrates, namely at 10kPa (Figure 17). Preliminary results (Figure 18, 19 and Table III)
show what appears to be a more naive and more homogenous population of hMSCs
isolated and cultured on the PA hydrogels. Finally, it seems that neural markers (B-III
tubulin, Nestin, O4 and GFAP) are more expressed in differentiating hMSCs plated on
soft hydrogels than on plastic for hMSCs expanded for 5 passages on plastic. In terms
of hMSCs isolated exclusively on PA hydrogels, the differences between these and
hMSCs isolated on plastic were very evident, but O4 seems to be more expressed in
cells isolated on soft PA hydrogels.
Key words: MSCs, oligodendroglia, mecanotransduction, matrix elasticity, lineage
specification, differentiation.
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