The Enhancement of human embryonic stem cell osteogenic differentiation with nano-fibrous scaffolding

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) hold great promise as a cell source for tissue engineering since they possess the ability to differentiate into any cell type within the body. However, much work must still be done to control the differentiation of the hESC to the desired lineage. In this study, we examined the effects of the nanofibrous (NF) architecture in both two-dimensional (2-D) poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) thin matrices and 3-D PLLA scaffolds in vitro to assess their affect on the osteogenic differentiation of hESC in vitro compared to more traditional solid films and solid-walled (SW) scaffolds. In 2-D culture, hESC on NF thin matrices were found to express collagen type 1, Runx2, and osteocalcin mRNA of higher levels than the hESC on the solid films after 1 week of culture and increased mineralization was observed on the NF matrices compared to the solid films after 3 weeks of culture. After 6 weeks of 3-D culture, the hESC on the NF scaffolds expressed significantly more osteocalcin mRNA compared to these on the SW scaffolds. The data indicates that the NF architecture enhances the osteogenic differentiation of the hESC compared to more traditional scaffolding architecture.