Title : Photobiomodulation-enhanced tenocytic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cell
Abstract:
Tendon tissue engineering is the branch of regenerative medicine that focuses on repairing, regenerating or replacing aged or damaged tendon tissue. This approach commonly makes use of various stem cells differentiated into tenocytes with the use of growth factors and biomaterials. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have emerged as a valuable cell source in regenerative medicine due to their multipotency and accessibility. This study explores the potential of photobiomodulation (PBM) to enhance tenocytic differentiation of ADSCs and address limitations in conventional in vitro models. Immortalized ADMSCs were irradiated using 525 nm, 825 nm, and their combination wavelengths, with a 5 and 10 J/cm² fluency. Prior to irradiation, stem cell characterization was performed using CD44, CD90 and CD166 expression, using immunofluorescence. Following differentiation, morphology (May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining), cell viability (live-dead staining and cytotoxicity), and proliferation (ATP quantification) were assessed. Tenogenic differentiation was evaluated using PCR (Scleraxis, Tenomodulin, Collagen I, Tenascin-C and Biglycan) and immunofluorescence (Scleraxis, Collagen I and Biglycan). Results demonstrated expression of stem cell markers. Following tenogenic induction, no significant morphological alterations were observed, while cell viability, proliferation, and tenogenic marker expression were enhanced. These findings highlight the tenogenic ability of the ASC52Telo cell line and PBM as a potential strategy to enhance tenogenic differentiation.
