Cultures of Schwann–like cells differentiated from adipose‐derived stem cells on PDMS/MWNT sheets as a scaffold for peripheral nerve regeneration

Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising candidates as novel scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration. Schwann cells (SCs) are attractive therapeutic targets due to their pivotal role in peripheral nerve regeneration, but primary SCs have limitations for clinical application. However, adipose‐derived stem cells (ASCs) may differentiate into Schwann‐like cells. The present study assesses the potential applicability of multiwall CNTs (MWNTs) composited with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which were then seeded with differentiated adipose‐derived stem cells (dASCs) to promote neuronal differentiation and growth. Aqueous MWNT dispersion was filtered, and the PDMS/MWNT sheets were prepared using a simple printing‐transfer method. Characterization of PDMS/MWNT sheets indicated their unique physical properties, such as superior mechanical strength and electroconductivity, compared with bare PDMS sheets. ASCs were differentiated into Schwann‐like cells using a mixture of glial growth factors. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were co‐cultured with SCs and dASCs on PDMS/MWNTs sheets or noncoated dishes. An alamar blue proliferation assay of dASC and SCs showed significantly more dASC and SCs cultured on PDMS/MWNT sheets at 48 h and 72 h than when cultured on noncoated dishes (p < 0.05). Additionally, when DRG were cultured on PDMS/MWNT sheets seeded with dASCs, the proliferation of DRG neurons and the longest neurite outgrowth length per neuron were significantly greater than when DRG were cultured on PDMS/MWNT sheets alone or on noncoated dishes seeded with SCs or dASCs (p < 0.05). Overall, PDMS/MWNT sheets exhibited excellent biocompatibility for culturing Schwann‐like cells differentiated from ASCs. Seeding the dASCs on PDMS/MWNT sheets may produce synergistic effects in peripheral nerve regeneration, similarly to SCs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 3642–3648, 2015.