Mesenchymal Stem Cell (Msc) Differentiation by Mechanical Stress: Applications in the Field of Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering

Mechanical forces have been implicated as a major factor responsible for in vitro mesenchymal cell lineage commitment8 and are usually exploited in bone and other musculoskeletal tissue engineering through application of external loading, as has been attempted with other cells and tissues or by appropriate matrix design. The profile of protein expression that is induced in mechanically stimulated cells is specific to the type of mechanical stimulus delivered and a range of strain stimuli have been demonstrated to promote tissue specific differentiation. Thus mechanical forces generated intrinsically within the cell in response to its extracellular environment and extrinsic mechanical signals imposed upon the cell by the extracellular environment, play a central role in determining mesenchymal stem cell fate. However exact role of mechanical forces in mesenchymal stem cell differentiation is still far from clear and is the focus of the developing field of mechanobiology. Therefore an understanding of the mechanisms behind mechano induced MSC differentiation is essential.