Background:
The results of surgical repair of tissue defects are still less than ideal leaving patients with residual cosmetic and functional impairments. Therefore, tissue engineering attempts to grow functional neo-tissue to support defect closure. The goal to form functional skeletal muscle using clinically feasible stimuli has not yet been reached to a sufficient extent. This study investigated the differentiation potential of static magnetic fields (SMF), using co-cultures of human satellite cells and human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) which have been found to be promising in animal trials.
Material and Methods:
Tests were performed on co-cultures with and without SMF exposure, using growth (high growth factor concentrations [GM]) and differentiation medium (low growth factors concentrations [DM]) over 12 days. The SMF was produced by a neodymiummagnet (4 × 4 cm) with a strength of 80 ± 5 mT placed beneath the cultures. The proliferation analysis was measured by an alamarBlue® assay.
Semi-quantitative gene expression measurements of the following marker genes showed the degree of differentiation: myogenic factor 5 (MYF5), myogenic differentiation antigen 1 (MYOD1), myogenin, adult myosin heavy chain (MYH1), and skeletal muscle α1 actin (ACTA1).
Results:
Although an upregulation of MYOD1, Myogenin and ACTA1 could be found in DM, neither in GM nor in DM a significant increase in marker gene expression could be detected which was confirmed by a missing immunhistochemical antibody staining.
Conclusion:
SMF exposure did not enhance myogenic maturation as no rise in differentiation markers was observed and did not result in the desired increase in myogenic differentiation. Further studies are needed to identify a suitable stimulus for skeletal muscle tissue engineering.
