Connecting science to medicine: Tendon-like tissue created from human
stem cells
Researchers develop artificial tendons in vitro from human stem cells
that could fix common tendon injuries such as Achilles tendon rupture

Date:
February 22, 2022
Source:
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Summary:
Tendons connect muscles with bones. When injured, they are really
difficult to repair, and the existing therapeutic strategies often
have complications. Researchers constructed artificial tendons that
were mechanically and biologically similar to normal tendons using
human induced pluripotent stem cells. The tendons were successfully
implanted in a mouse model of tendon rupture. These findings offer
a novel strategy for tendon repair and regeneration.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Tendons are tissues that connect muscles to bones and are important
for movement and locomotion. Injuries to tendons are quite common,
with millions of people -- particularly athletes -- affected worldwide,
and can often take many months to recover from, significantly impacting
quality of life. Furthermore, while many options for treatment exist,
none of them are perfect cures and many result in pain, immunogenicity,
or long-term treatment failure. Therefore, a novel therapeutic strategy
for tendon repair is needed.


==========================================================================
In a study published in the Journal of Tissue Engineering in January
2022, researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have successfully induced human stem cells to create artificial tendon-like
tissue that mimics tendon properties and offers significantly improved
tendon reconstruction in a mouse tendon-rupture model.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells, or hiPSCs, are special stem cells
that can be derived from any adult cells and can be differentiated into
any specialized cell-type. "Using hiPSCs with Mohawk (Mkx), we could
produce artificial tendon tissue." explains Hiroki Tsutsumi, lead author
of the study.

Mohawk is a transcription factor that promotes the expression of genes
involved in tendon-formation and thus drives differentiation of stem
cells into tendon cells. These Mohawk-expressing stem cells were then
put in a specialized 3D culture system that exerts mechanical force on
the cells while they are growing. This simulates the conditions for
tendon development and enhances the cell alignment and organization,
allowing them to create tendon-like tissues.

Next, the research team tested the artificial tendon in a mouse model
of tendon rupture. The results were exciting. Six weeks after the
implantation, the artificial tendon had similar mechanical properties to
a normal undamaged mouse tendon. In addition, the implanted tendon-like
tissue was able to recruit and mobilize tendon cells from the host that
can further participate in the repair process. This confirmed a good integration of the tissue.

"We demonstrated that the bio-tendons derived from human induced
pluripotent stem cells have similar mechanical and biological properties
to normal tendons and can be fully integrated relatively quickly
after a transplant surgery in a mouse model, making them an attractive
strategy for clinical application in tendon injuries. The next step
towards clinical translation would be to test them in large animal
models to assess their capacity as a biomaterial on a larger scale,"
concludes Hiroshi Asahara, lead author of the study. These promising
results suggest that a novel medical strategy for tendon repair may be clinically available in the future.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Tokyo_Medical_and_Dental_University. Note: Content may be edited for
style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Hiroki Tsutsumi, Ryota Kurimoto, Ryo Nakamichi, Tomoki Chiba,
Takahide
Matsushima, Yuta Fujii, Risa Sanada, Tomomi Kato, Kana Shishido,
Yuriko Sakamaki, Tsuyoshi Kimura, Akio Kishida, Hiroshi
Asahara. Generation of a tendon-like tissue from human iPS
cells. Journal of Tissue Engineering, 2022; 13: 204173142210740
DOI: 10.1177/20417314221074018 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220222121305.htm

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