MWCNTs enhance hBMSCs spreading but delay their proliferation in the direction of differentiation acceleration

Abstract

Cellular interaction with substrate and neighboring cells plays a critical role in osteoblast survival, proliferation, differentiation as well as bone remodeling. Regulated biophysical cues, such as nanotopography, have been shown to be integral for tissue regeneration in the stem cell niche. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) represent a nanomaterial that has won enormous popularity in nanotechnology, exhibiting nanometer scale and extraordinary physicochemical properties, supporting the growth of different kinds of cells.1-3 In our recent work, published in Annals of Biomedical Engineering [2013 Jul 3, Epub ahead of print], we found that MWCNTs can create an osteogenic environment, even without addition of exogenous factors, representing a suitable reinforcement for bone tissue engineering scaffolds. We will highlight some aspects of our results, connecting them with others' findings, to conclude that MWCNTs represent a structure that provides the sustained effects on the organization of the extracellular matrix to modify the progression of differentiation of proliferating cells of the osteoblast lineage.