Master Student Chonnam National University Chungnam National University, Republic of Korea
Abstract: Amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AM-MSCs) hold great promise for regenerative medicine due to their pluripotency, immunomodulatory abilities, and non-invasive isolation, which eliminates ethical concerns. However, traditional 2D culture methods fail to replicate the in vivo microenvironment, limiting their therapeutic capabilities. This study focuses on developing optimized 3D culture systems to enhance the stemness and chondrogenic differentiation potential of AM-MSCs. Utilizing specialized 3D culture platforms (LabSpheroTM, LabToLab, Republic of Korea), uniform spheroids were generated to foster cell aggregation and improve cell-to-cell interactions, critical for chondrogenesis. The findings revealed significant upregulation of stemness-related markers, such as OCT4 and SOX2, alongside increased chondrogenic differentiation, indicated by elevated expression of SOX9, COL2A1, and aggrecan. Additionally, 3D-cultured AM-MSCs demonstrated enhanced viability, better mimicked the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), and exhibited superior paracrine signaling and regenerative potential. These results suggest that 3D culture systems can significantly enhance the therapeutic efficacy of AM-MSCs, offering a promising approach for cartilage regeneration and the treatment of orthopedic conditions like osteoarthritis.
Funding Source: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (RS-2024-00405287)
