To investigate the influence of hyaluronan and collagen on mesenchymal stem cell differentiation towards an annulus fibrosus tissue in a three dimensional scaffold

• Main Author: Chia, Yan Qing
• Other Authors: Kang Yuejun
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science; DRNTU::Engineering::Bioengineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/65230
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Intervertebral discs (IVD) are fibrocartilage which are found in between the vertebrae of the spine and mainly function as a shock absorber to reduce impact or damages done to the spine. It is inevitable that disc degeneration may occur as a person age, since simple daily activities, like sitting, squatting, lifting or driving can induce stress on the spine. Various treatments such as medications, therapy and surgery are available, however, these are short-term solutions to solving the problems at the moment. In the long run, disc degeneration could still be a recurring problem. Therefore, due to the lack of knowledge that limit the advancement of therapeutic treatment for annulus repair, there is a need for the development of a tissue engineered intervertebral disc that could potentially replace the damaged disc. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the different components, hyaluronic acid and collagen, on the proliferation and differentiation of the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) towards an annulus fibrosus tissue in an in-vitro scaffold. Control has the best performance in expressing the highest gene expression for col I, col II, aggrecan and sox9. The gene expression might produce adequate matrix in the RT-PCR as it was done in the earlier stage, hence a reduction of the RNA genes expression of the other components were observed. In conclusion, the immunostaining imply that collagen type I and hyaluronic acid investigated in this study allows HMSCs to differentiate towards an annulus fibrosus with the 3D scaffold fabricated since col I and col II were observed in all the components.