Next Article in Journal
A Host Cell Vector Model for Analyzing Viral Protective Antigens and Host Immunity
Previous Article in Journal
Enhanced Methodology for Peptide Tertiary Structure Prediction Using GRSA and Bio-Inspired Algorithm
Previous Article in Special Issue
Clinical Safety and Efficacy of Allogeneic Adipose Stem Cells: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Trials
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by Geometric Mechanotransductive 3D-Printed Poly-(L)-Lactic Acid Matrices

by
Harrison P. Ryan
,
Bruce K. Milthorpe
and
Jerran Santos
*
Advanced Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Biology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7494; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157494 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 23 June 2025 / Revised: 27 July 2025 / Accepted: 31 July 2025 / Published: 2 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches for Tissue Repair and Tissue Regeneration)

Abstract

Bone-related defects present a key challenge in orthopaedics. The current gold standard, autografts, poses significant limitations, such as donor site morbidity, limited supply, and poor morphological adaptability. This study investigates the potential of scaffold geometry to induce osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) through mechanotransduction, without the use of chemical inducers. Four distinct poly-(L)-lactic acid (PLA) scaffold architectures—Traditional Cross (Tc), Triangle (T), Diamond (D), and Gyroid (G)—were fabricated using fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing. hADSCs were cultured on these scaffolds, and their response was evaluated utilising an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, immunofluorescence, and extensive proteomic analyses. The results showed the D scaffold to have the highest ALP activity, followed by Tc. Proteomics results showed that more than 1200 proteins were identified in each scaffold with unique proteins expressed in each scaffold, respectively Tc—204, T—194, D—244, and G—216. Bioinformatics analysis revealed structures with complex curvature to have an increased expression of proteins involved in mid- to late-stage osteogenesis signalling and differentiation pathways, while the Tc scaffold induced an increased expression of signalling and differentiation pathways pertaining to angiogenesis and early osteogenesis.
Keywords: adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs); mechanotransduction; bone tissue engineering (BTE) adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs); mechanotransduction; bone tissue engineering (BTE)

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Ryan, H.P.; Milthorpe, B.K.; Santos, J. Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by Geometric Mechanotransductive 3D-Printed Poly-(L)-Lactic Acid Matrices. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 7494. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157494

AMA Style

Ryan HP, Milthorpe BK, Santos J. Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by Geometric Mechanotransductive 3D-Printed Poly-(L)-Lactic Acid Matrices. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(15):7494. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157494

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ryan, Harrison P., Bruce K. Milthorpe, and Jerran Santos. 2025. "Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by Geometric Mechanotransductive 3D-Printed Poly-(L)-Lactic Acid Matrices" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 15: 7494. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157494

APA Style

Ryan, H. P., Milthorpe, B. K., & Santos, J. (2025). Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by Geometric Mechanotransductive 3D-Printed Poly-(L)-Lactic Acid Matrices. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(15), 7494. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157494

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop