Mineralized gelatin methacrylate-based matrices induce osteogenic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are a promising cell source with pluripotency and self-renewal properties. Design of simple and robust biomaterials with an innate ability to induce lineage-specificity of hiPSCs is desirable to realize their applications in regenerative medicine. In this study, we investigated the potential of biomaterials containing calcium phosphate minerals to induce osteogenic differentiation of hiPSCs. hiPSCs cultured using mineralized gelatin methacrylate-based matrices underwent osteogenic differentiation ex vivo, both in two- dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) cultures, in growth medium devoid of any osteogenic-inducing chemical components or growth factors. Our findings that osteogenic differentiation of hiPSCs can be achieved through biomaterial-based cues alone present new avenues for personalized regenerative medicine. Such biomaterials that could not only act as structural scaffolds, but could also provide tissue-specific functions such as directing stem cell differentiation commitment, have great potential in bone tissue engineering.