Cell adhesion and cytoskeleton in regulation of human adipose stem cell differentiation

What is it about?

Mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue are multipotent stem cells, which are increasingly used in tissue engineering. This study adds knowledge on the role of cell adhesion and cytoskeleton in regulation of human adipose stem cell differentiation towards osteogenic and adipogenic lineages.

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Why is it important?

Regulation of stem cell differentiation is a complex process that is not yet fully understood. In this study we show that focal adhesion kinase, a central regulator of cell adhesion and integrin-mediated signaling, and ROCK, an important protein in the regulation of cell cytoskeleton, function as molecular switches between osteogenesis and adipogenesis in human adipose stem cell differentiation. Detailed knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of differentiation is important when creating safe and efficient tissue engineering applications.