Cell memory in tissue defect repair and regeneration

Abstract

Aim or Purpose: To prove that cells have the ability to learn and memory, thus, “super-cells” can be fabricated for tissue engineering meeting different demands. Materials and Methods: The c2c12 myoblasts are trained by a combination of electrical and thermal stimulation by several cycles. For the experimental group, electrical stimulation is followed by thermal stimulation, while the opposite is true for the control group. After the training, electrical stimulation served as a reminder in later cell cultures. The ability of cells to memory is shown by differences in the nuclear localization of heat shock protein 70(hsp70). The myogenic and neural differentiation markers are detected. Then, the trained cells are made into cell sheets for directional culture, and the composite of multilayer cell sheets is prepared using GelMA hydrogel to repair tissue defects. Tissue regeneration was characterized by HE stains, Masson stains, immunofluorescence and functional detection. All data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation (SD). Significant differences between the groups were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Student's t test. Results: The cells in the experimental group have higher nuclear localization of hsp70, better myogenic differentiation, and achieve neurotization muscle repair in tissue regeneration. Conclusions: The c2c12 myoblasts have the ability to learn and memory, and the combination of thermal stimulation and electrical stimulation can realize the electrical stimulation to better promote the repair and regeneration of muscle defects.