FIGURE 4.

Long‐term culture of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hMSCs) as aggregates and in alginate hydrogels suppresses proliferation. hMSCs were seeded in four different cell culture systems and were subjected to 5‐ethynyl‐2'‐deoxyuridine (pink) for 48 h prior to analysis on days 2, 7 and 14. The samples were counterstained with 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI) (blue). (a–c) Fluorescence micrographs depict hMSCs seeded as low cell number aggregates; (d–f) high cell number aggregate; (g–i) encapsulated in alginate hydrogels modified with arginine‐glycine‐aspartic acid (RGD); and (j–l) encapsulated in alginate hydrogels without modification at day 2, 7, and 14. Scale bars represent 100 μm. Data are representative of at least three independent experiments with similar results