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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Adv Mater. 2016 Jun 15;28(33):7257–7263. doi: 10.1002/adma.201601484

Figure 4. Sliding hydrogels enhanced differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells toward adipogenesis, chondrogenesis, and osteogenesis in 3D versus chemical hydrogels with similar stiffness and degradation.

Figure 4

(a) Comparable compressive moduli of chemical hydrogels (CGs) and sliding hydrogel (SGs), with (−MSCs) and without (−MSCs) hMSCs encapsulated.( * indicates p value < 0.05.) (b) Minimum degradation of both SG and CG verified by stable equilibrium swell ratios over 30 days. (c) Representative images of hMSCs in a CG and a SG stained for neutral lipid accumulation (Oil Red O; a marker of adipogenesis), glycoaminoglycan deposition (Safranin O) and ALP activity (Fast Blue; osteogenic biomarker, blue) after culture in adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic medium. Data were presented as average ± standard deviations with 3 samples per group in (a) and (b). Scale bar is 100 μm in panel (c).