Poster #047
Optimizing the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Tendon Cell Pathway
Mentor: Ahmet Pazarceviren
Tendon injuries affect over 1 million athletes and 10% of people before age 45. Due to hypovascularity and hypocellularity, tendons heal by forming dysfunctional scar tissue, leading to reinjury. We’re using iPSC-derived tendon cells (iTenocytes) by following the mesodermal developmental pathway. First, we triggered iPSC differentiation into sclerotome (SCL) by optimizing BMP, WNT, and SHH signaling. Then, we transitioned SCL to syndetome (SYN) using combinations of TGF-β3, GDF5, and CTGF. Using GDF5 (50 ng/mL) and CTGF (25 ng/mL), we obtained low Mohawk (early marker) and high TNMD (late marker) expressing SYN. This indicates an increased progression towards formation of mature iTenocytes. We are currently investigating the effect of dynamic mechanical stimulation on the maturation of SYN cells, seeded onto scaffolds, into iTenocytes. These findings support the optimal method for obtaining a high number of specialized iTenocytes, allowing for functional and scarless tendon tissue regeneration.