@article {19266, title = {Crosstalk between adipose stem cells and tendon cells reveals a temporal regulation of tenogenesis by matrix deposition and remodeling}, journal = {Journal Of Cellular Physiology}, year = {2017}, month = {2017-12-07 00:00:00}, abstract = {

Tendon injuries constitute an unmet clinical challenge owing to the limited intrinsic regenerative ability of this tissue. Cell-based therapies aim at improving tendon healing through the delicate orchestration of tissue rebuilding and regain of function. Hence, human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) have been proposed as a promising cell source for boosting tendon regeneration. In this work, we investigated the influence of hASCs on native human tendon-derived cells (hTDCs) through the establishment of a direct contact co-culture system. Results demonstrated that direct interactions between these cell types resulted in controlled proliferation and spontaneous cell elongation. ECM-related genes, particularly COL1A1 and TNC, and genes involved in ECM remodeling, such as MMP1, MMP2, MMP3 and TIMP1, were expressed in co-cultures in a temporally regulated manner. In addition, deposition of collagen type I was accelerated in co-cultures systems and favored over the production of collagen type III, resulting in an enhanced COL1/COL3 ratio as soon as 7 days. In conclusion, hASCs seem to be good candidates in modulating the behavior of native tendon cells, particularly through a balanced process of ECM synthesis and degradation.\ 

}, keywords = {adipose-derived stem cells, Co-culture, Extracellular matrix, Matrix metalloproteinases, Temporal gene regulation, Tendon Regeneration, Tenogenesis}, issn = {1097-4652}, doi = {10.1002/jcp.26363}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcp.26363/full}, author = {Costa-Almeida, R. and Calejo, I. and Reis, R. L. and Gomes, M. E.} }