The 3D mechanical environment and chemical milieu influence the hMSC fibrogenesis and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition

Abstract

The chemical cytokine milieu and the mechanical environment are two central elements in the development and progression of fibrosis. In this study, we demonstrated that, compared to a stiff substrate, a fibrinogen based hydrogel scaffold provided a 3D microenvironment for enhanced human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) proliferation, embedded connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) for directed fibrogenesis, and a compliant substrate for alleviated myofibrogenesis.