The Differentiation of Human Endometrial Stem Cells into Neuron-Like Cells on Electrospun PAN-Derived Carbon Nanofibers with Random and Aligned Topographies

Electrospun carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have great potential for applications in neural tissue regeneration due to their electrical conductivity, biocompatibility, and morphological similarity to natural extracellular matrix. In this study, we cultured human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) on electrospun CNFs with random and aligned topographies and demonstrated that hEnSCs could attach, proliferate, and differentiate into neural cells on both random and aligned CNFs. However, the proliferation, differentiation, and morphology of cells were affected by CNF morphology. Under the proliferative condition, hEnSCs showed lower proliferation on aligned CNFs than on random CNFs and on tissue culture plate (TCP) control. When cultured on aligned CNFs in neural induction media, hEnSCs showed significant upregulation of neuronal markers, NF-H and Tuj-1, and downregulation of neural progenitor marker (nestin) compared to that on random CNFs and on TCP. In contrast, hEnSCs showed higher expression of nestin and slight upregulation of oligodendrocyte marker (OLIG-2) on random CNFs compared to that on aligned CNFs and on TCP. SEM imaging revealed that differentiated cells extended along the CNF main axis on aligned CNFs but stretched multidirectionally on random CNFs. These findings suggest electrospun CNFs as proper substrate for stem cell differentiation into specific neural cells.