# Mind the viscous modulus: the mechanotransductive response to the viscous nature of isoelastic matrices regulates stem cell chondrogenesis
**Source**: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/300122/
**Parent**: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/303613.html
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# Mind the viscous modulus: the mechanotransductive response to the viscous nature of isoelastic matrices regulates stem cell chondrogenesis
[Walker, Matthew](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/50025.html) [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5119-9118](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5119-9118), [Pringle, Eonan William](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/60105.html), [Ciccone, Giuseppe](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/49161.html), [Oliver Cervello, Lluís](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/68314.html), [Tassieri, Manlio](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/11030.html) [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6807-0385](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6807-0385), [Gourdon, Delphine](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/55945.html) and [Cantini, Marco](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30437.html) [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0326-1508](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0326-1508)
(2024)
Mind the viscous modulus: the mechanotransductive response to the viscous nature of isoelastic matrices regulates stem cell chondrogenesis.
*[Advanced Healthcare Materials](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Advanced_Healthcare_Materials.html)*, 13(9),
2302571.
(doi: [10.1002/adhm.202302571](https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202302571))
(PMID:[38014647](https://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/38014647))
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| | [Text](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/300122/1/300122.pdf) 300122.pdf - Published Version Available under License [Creative Commons Attribution](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 3MB |
## Abstract
The design of hydrogels as mimetics of tissues’ matrices typically disregards the viscous nature of native tissues and focuses only on their elastic properties. In the case of stem cell chondrogenesis, this has led to contradictory results, likely due to unreported changes in the matrices’ viscous modulus. Here, by employing isoelastic matrices with Young's modulus of ≈12 kPa, variations in viscous properties alone (i.e., loss tangent between 0.1 and 0.25) are demonstrated to be sufficient to drive efficient growth factor-free chondrogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells, both in 2D and 3D cultures. The increase of the viscous component of RGD-functionalized polyacrylamide or polyethylene glycol maleimide hydrogels promotes a phenotype with reduced adhesion, alters mechanosensitive signaling, and boosts cell–cell contacts. In turn, this upregulates the chondrogenic transcription factor SOX9 and supports neocartilage formation, demonstrating that the mechanotransductive response to the viscous nature of the matrix can be harnessed to direct cell fate.
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| Item Type: | Articles |
| Additional Information: | This work was funded by a grant from the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform. MC and DG, respectively, acknowledge MRC funding (MR/S005412/1) and Royal Society of the United Kingdom funding under the Wolfson award (RSWF/FT/191020). |
| Keywords: | Hydrogels, viscoelasticity, stem cells, chondrogenesis, mechanotransduction. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | [CICCONE, Mr GIUSEPPE](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/49161.html) and [Pringle, Eonan](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/60105.html) and [Tassieri, Dr Manlio](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/11030.html) and [Oliver Cervello, Mr Lluís](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/68314.html) and [Walker, Dr Matthew](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/50025.html) and [Cantini, Dr Marco](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30437.html) and [Gourdon, Professor Delphine](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/55945.html) |
| Authors: | [Walker, M.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/50025.html), [Pringle, E. W.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/60105.html), [Ciccone, G.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/49161.html), [Oliver Cervello, L.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/68314.html), [Tassieri, M.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/11030.html), [Gourdon, D.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/55945.html), and [Cantini, M.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30437.html) |
| College/School: | [College of Science and Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30000000/) > [School of Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30300000/) [College of Science and Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30000000/) > [School of Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30300000/) > [Biomedical Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30303000/) |
| Journal Name: | [Advanced Healthcare Materials](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Advanced_Healthcare_Materials.html) |
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| ISSN: | 2192-2640 |
| ISSN (Online): | 2192-2659 |
| Published Online: | 28 November 2023 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2023 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Advanced Healthcare Materials 13(9): 2302571 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons License |
| Data DOI: | [10.5525/gla.researchdata.1545](https://doi.org/10.5525/gla.researchdata.1545) |
University Staff: [Request a correction](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/cgi/request_correction?eprintid=300122) | Enlighten Editors: [Update this record](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/cgi/users/home?screen=EPrint::View&eprintid=300122)
Funder and Project Information
[Funder and Project Information](#)
[Funder and Project Information](#)
Project Code
Award No
Project Name
Principal Investigator
Funder's Name
Funder Ref
Lead Dept
[303613](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/303613.html)
Engineered microenvironments to harvest stem cell response to viscosity for cartilage repair
Marco Cantini
[Medical Research Council (MRC)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/Medical_Research_Council_=28MRC=29.html)
MR/S005412/1
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
[310302](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/310302.html)
Manipulating proteins to engineer 3D platforms for cancer research
Delphine Gourdon
[The Royal Society (ROYSOC)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/The_Royal_Society_=28ROYSOC=29.html)
RSWF/FT/191020
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
Deposit and Record Details
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[Deposit and Record Details](#)
| | |
| --- | --- |
| ID Code: | 300122 |
| Depositing User: | [Mr Matt Mahon](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/profile/45630) |
| Datestamp: | 24 Nov 2023 10:57 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Oct 2024 09:44 |
| Date of acceptance: | 23 November 2023 |
| Date of first online publication: | 28 November 2023 |
| Date Deposited: | 24 November 2023 |
| Data Availability Statement: | Yes |
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