PEDOT: PSS promotes neurogenic commitment of neural crest-derived stem cells

Bibliographic Details
Title: PEDOT: PSS promotes neurogenic commitment of neural crest-derived stem cells
Authors: Alessandra Pisciotta, Alice Lunghi, Giulia Bertani, Rosanna Di Tinco, Laura Bertoni, Giulia Orlandi, Fabio Biscarini, Michele Bianchi, Gianluca Carnevale
Source: Frontiers in Physiology, Vol 13 (2022)
Publisher Information: Frontiers Media S.A., 2022.
Publication Year: 2022
Collection: LCC:Physiology
Subject Terms: conductive polymers, nanostructured thin films, dental pulp stem cells, cell differentiation, stemness, immunomodulatory properties, Physiology, QP1-981
More Details: Poly (3,4-ethylendioxythiophene) polystyrene sulphonate (PEDOT:PSS) is the workhorse of organic bioelectronics and is steadily gaining interest also in tissue engineering due to the opportunity to endow traditional biomaterials for scaffolds with conductive properties. Biomaterials capable of promoting neural stem cell differentiation by application of suitable electrical stimulation protocols are highly desirable in neural tissue engineering. In this study, we evaluated the adhesion, proliferation, maintenance of neural crest stemness markers and neurogenic commitment of neural crest-derived human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) cultured on PEDOT:PSS nanostructured thin films deposited either by spin coating (SC-PEDOT) or by electropolymerization (ED-PEDOT). In addition, we evaluated the immunomodulatory properties of hDPSCs on PEDOT:PSS by investigating the expression and maintenance of the Fas ligand (FasL). We found that both SC-PEDOT and ED-PEDOT thin films supported hDPSCs adhesion and proliferation; however, the number of cells on the ED-PEDOT after 1 week of culture was significantly higher than that on SC-PEDOT. To be noted, both PEDOT:PSS films did not affect the stemness phenotype of hDPSCs, as indicated by the maintenance of the neural crest markers Nestin and SOX10. Interestingly, neurogenic induction was clearly promoted on ED-PEDOT, as indicated by the strong expression of MAP-2 and β—Tubulin-III as well as evident cytoskeletal reorganisation and appreciable morphology shift towards a neuronal-like shape. In addition, strong FasL expression was detected on both undifferentiated or undergoing neurogenic commitment hDPSCs, suggesting that ED-PEDOT supports the expression and maintenance of FasL under both expansion and differentiation conditions.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1664-042X
Relation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.930804/full; https://doaj.org/toc/1664-042X
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.930804
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/ed1b048f552d45d082811c3078eebfb5
Accession Number: edsdoj.1b048f552d45d082811c3078eebfb5
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:1664042X
DOI:10.3389/fphys.2022.930804
Published in:Frontiers in Physiology
Language:English