@article {19594, title = {Bi-directional modulation of cellular interactions in an in vitro co-culture model of tendon-to-bone interface}, journal = {Cell Proliferation}, year = {2018}, month = {2018-08-14 00:00:00}, publisher = {John Wiley \& Sons }, abstract = {

Objectives

This work aimed at studying in vitro interactions between human tendon-derived cells (hTDCs) and pre-osteoblasts (pre-OBs) that may trigger a cascade of events involved in enthesis regeneration.

Materials and methods

The effect of 5 osteogenic medium (OM) conditions over the modulation of hTDCs and pre-OBs towards the tenogenic and osteogenic phenotypes, respectively, was studied. Three different medium conditions were chosen for subsequently establishing a direct co-culture system in order to study the expression of bone, tendon and interface-related markers.

Results

A higher matrix mineralization and ALP activity was observed in co-cultures in the presence of OM. Higher transcription levels of bone- (ALPL, RUNX2, SPP1) and interface-related genes (ACAN, COMP) were found in co-cultures. The expression of aggrecan was influenced by the presence of OM and cell-cell interactions occurring in co-culture.

Conclusions

The present work assessed both the influence of OM on cell phenotype modulation and the importance of co-culture models while promoting cell-cell interactions and the exchange of soluble factors in triggering an interface-like phenotype to potentially modulate enthesis regeneration.

}, keywords = {adipose-derived stem cells, co-culture system, Enthesis regeneration, Interfacial tissue engineering, Osteogenic medium, Tendon-derived cells}, issn = {1365-2184}, doi = {10.1111/cpr.12493}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cpr.12493}, author = {Calejo, I. and Costa-Almeida, R. and Gon{\c c}alves, A. I. and Berdecka, D. and Reis, R. L. and Gomes, M. E.} }