Graphene Oxide Scaffold Stimulates Differentiation and Proangiogenic Activities of Myogenic Progenitor Cells

• Main Authors: Mateusz Wierzbicki, Anna Hotowy, Marta Kutwin, Sławomir Jaworski, Jaśmina Bałaban, Malwina Sosnowska, Barbara Wójcik, Aleksandra Wędzińska, André Chwalibog, Ewa Sawosz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-06-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: angiogenesis; myogenic progenitor cells; graphene oxide
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/11/4173

The physiological process of muscle regeneration is quite limited due to low satellite cell quantity and also the inability to regenerate and reconstruct niche tissue. The purpose of the study was to examine whether a graphene oxide scaffold is able to stimulate myogenic progenitor cell proliferation and the endocrine functions of differentiating cells, and therefore, their active participation in the construction of muscle tissue. Studies were carried out using mesenchymal cells taken from 6-day-old chicken embryos and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were used to assess angiogenesis. The graphene scaffold was readily colonized by myogenic progenitor cells and the cells dissected from heart, brain, eye, and blood vessels did not avoid the scaffold. The scaffold strongly induced myogenic progenitor cell signaling pathways and simultaneously activated proangiogenic signaling pathways via exocrine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion. The present study revealed that the graphene oxide (GO) scaffold initiates the processes of muscle cell differentiation due to mechanical interaction with myogenic progenitor cell.