Modulation of the heterogeneous senescence of human mesenchymal stem cells on chemically-modified surfaces

[Display omitted] ► The heterogeneous aging of hMSC was examined on chemically defined self-assembly monolayer surfaces. ► Surface energy was shown to regulate aged hMSC morphology, survival, and proteoglycan expression. ► High surface energy supplied a preferable environment for hMSC survival and expression of proteoglycans. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are multipotent and have been recognized as a source for tissue engineering or cell therapy. It is, therefore, imperative to develop methods to acquire enough hMSCs that maintain self-renewal and differentiation potential. However, aged hMSCs are prone to have a gradual decline in differentiation and proliferation potential with continual cell cycle divisions during in vitro culture. The physiochemical properties of hMSCs are highly dependent on their micro-environment, i.e. the ‘stem cell niche’. In this study, the heterogeneous aging of hMSC was examined on chemically defined self-assembly monolayer surfaces. Surface energy was shown to regulate aged hMSC morphology, survival, and proteoglycan expression. High surface energy supplied a preferable environment for hMSC survival and expression of proteoglycans. These results will prove valuable to the design of scaffolds for tissue engineering or for the modulation of implantation environments.