REMOTE ACTIVATION OF ACTIVIN A TYPE II RECEPTOR VIA MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES FOR TENDON REGENERATION STRATEGIES

Tendon injuries are a worldwide problem affecting several age groups and stem cell based therapies hold potential for tendon strategies guiding tendon regeneration. Tendons rely on mechano-sensing mechanisms that regulate homeostasis and influence regeneration. The mechanosensitive receptors available in cell membranes sense the external stimuli and initiate mechanotransduction processes. Activins are members of the TGF-β superfamily which participate in several tendon biological processes. It is envisioned that the activation of the activin receptor, trigger downstream Smad2/3 pathway thus regulating the transcription of tenogenic genes driving stem cell differentiation. In this work, we propose to target the Activin receptor type IIA (ActRIIA) in human adipose stem cells (hASCs), inducing hASCs commitment towards the tenogenic lineage. Since mechanotransduction can be remotely triggered through magnetic actuation combined with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), we stimulated hASCs tagged complexes using a v...