PROJECT 3: Effects of Culture Substrate Parameters on MSC Secretome

Test-Bed Involved: MSC

 

While substrate effects on differentiation of MSCs have been previously extensively explored, significantly less is known about how culture substrate affects the type/ amount of cytokines secreted by MSCs, which is a putative, but likely important, mechanism of action in vivo.  This project addresses this gap in knowledge by proposing to use high-throughput screening techniques to develop substrates that promote MSC proliferation in serum-free conditions, as well as produce a multi-variate model to better understand and predict the effects of substrate parameters on MSC secretome.

 

Aim 1: Create hydrogel/layer-by-layer (LbL) arrays with different chemical compositions and screen for cell adhesion/proliferation in serum free media. 

Aim 2: Produce larger materials from “hits” from Aim 1 to examine effects of substrate on MSC secretome (using a bead-based multiplex cytokine assay kit) in serum and serum-free conditions. 

Aim 3: Generate a multivariate model to better understand/predict the effects of substrate parameters on MSC secretome.