Molecular analysis of mechanobiological reactions of human mesenchymal stem cells on biomechanical extracelluar cues induced by magnetically actuated microstructures - µMSC

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The proposed project aims at creating magnetically actuatable microstructures with well-defined mechanical properties, and to employ these microstructures for analysis of mechanobiological reactions of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) on different local (bio-)mechanical stimuli. To this end, pillar- and/or cilia-like microstructures filled with magnetic nanoparticles will be generated. These structures are designed to be set in motion in a magnetic field. While in case of pillar-like structures extended cell membrane areas will be biomechanically stimulated, cilia-like structures in contrast will touch (tickle) the membrane rather locally. Depending on the resulting stimuli, the cell reactions will be analyzed concerning (i) focal contact dynamics, (ii) cell motility, i.e. cell spreading and morphogenesis as well as actin cytoskeleton formation to optionally lamellipodia, filopodia and/or stress fibres, and (iii) cell functions, including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this context, the experiments will aim at shedding light on whether hMSC-response to biomechanical cues will favour proliferation and/or differentiation, and, as the case may be, apoptosis protection will occur. The impact of the nature of the stimulus, the structural sizes, the elasticity moduli, and the surface chemistry on the biomechanical response of the cells will be tested. It is hoped that the gain in knowledge of the hMSC-reactions on qualitatively different external biomechanical cues might allow to use targeted biomechanical stimuli to induce desired cell reactions and introduce this concept into innovative stem cell-based periodontal therapy concepts.