A Biomimetic Emu Oil-Blended Electrospun Nanofibrous Mat for Maintaining Stemness of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells.

BACKGROUND

Emu oil (EO) with anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and wound healing properties can be blended for preparing bioactive nanofibrous scaffold. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are promising candidates for tissue engineering, and preserving their stemness potential is vital for further therapeutic applications.

AIM

The aim of this study was to fabricate EO-blended nanofiber and investigate its effect on proliferation, survival, and stemness preservation of ADSCs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pure EO composition was characterized using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. EO-PCL-polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanofibers were successfully fabricated using an electrospinning technique and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Cell viability and adhesion were measured using the MTT assay and FE-SEM. Finally, quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to quantify the expression level of cell cycle regulated genes and pluripotency-associated transcription factors.

RESULTS

Findings showed that 20% (w/w) of EO is the optimum oil content in the electrospun solution to achieve good morphology and ultrafine fibers. The relatively high optical densities and FE-SEM images indicated that EO highly supported cell adhesion and proliferation on the matrices. In addition, EO-PCL-PEG electrospun nanofibrous mats significantly upregulated the expression levels of cell cycle regulated genes (Cyclin D1, pRb, and P53) and stemness markers (Nanog, OCT-4, Rex-1, and Sox-2) than PCL-PEG nanofiber and tissue culture polystyrene in 7 and 14 days of cell culture.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that the EO-blended nanofibrous mat can be used as a bioactive scaffold to support cell adhesion and proliferation while simultaneously maintaining the stemness of ADSCs.