Proliferation and differentiation of stem cells in tenocytes assisted by optical therapy for potential application in tissue engineering

• Grant number: 17/22467-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2018
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal researcher: Martha Simões Ribeiro
• Grantee: Ismael Pretto Sauter
• Home Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/26113-6 - Micromachining with ultrashort laser pulses applied to the production and control of optofluidic circuits, AP.TEM

Abstract

Stem cell-based therapies offer great potential to promote tendon regeneration due to its high proliferative, synthetic and immunomodulatory activity, as well as its potential to differentiate into target cells and undergo genetic modifications. In addition, light-based therapies offer a less invasive alternative to the patient and have shown good outcome for the treatment of functional disorders of different etiologies. Thus, the objective of this study is to associate the use of stem cells and low-power light (LBP) in the development of an artificial tendon. For this, adipose tissue derived stem cells (ADSC) will be stimulated with LBP under different conditions for their proliferation and differentiation in tenocytes, which will then be grown in micromachined scaffolds for the engineering of an artificial tendon that can be used in regenerative medicine for repair of tendinous lesions. First, we will examine the effect of LBP at different wavelengths on ADSC proliferation and its differentiation in tenocytes using different radiating exposures on ADSC isolated from rats. To characterize the complete cellular differentiation, the presence of specific tenocyte markers by Western blot, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry will be observed. In the second stage of the project, we will engineer an artificial tendon grown in micromachined scaffold, where we will also investigate the potential of LBP for its growth and alignment, which will be evaluated by optical coherence tomography, scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy and polarization microscopy.