Surface-elastic hydrogels delay senescence via the modulation of redox homeostasis and cytoskeletal tension

Abstract The Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in clinical applications owing to their therapeutic properties. However, in vitro expansion of MSCs in tissue culture dishes induces aging, which reduces their quality through an undefined mechanism. This study delineates...

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Main Authors: Thasaneeya Kuboki, Satoru Kidoaki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04779-7
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author Thasaneeya Kuboki
Satoru Kidoaki
author_facet Thasaneeya Kuboki
Satoru Kidoaki
author_sort Thasaneeya Kuboki
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in clinical applications owing to their therapeutic properties. However, in vitro expansion of MSCs in tissue culture dishes induces aging, which reduces their quality through an undefined mechanism. This study delineates the role of substrate stiffness as a potential modulator to delay MSC aging by elucidating the senescence progression of preconditioned and serially passaged MSCs on engineered stiffness-tunable gelatinous hydrogels. We demonstrated that mechanoactivation of MSCs increased their radical-scavenging capacity, maintained redox homeostasis, restored actin dynamics, and maintained their therapeutic properties. The hydrogels alleviated hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress, linking mechanical signaling to redox balance and senescence. These hydrogels restored actin remodeling, highlighting the importance of cytoskeletal tension and dynamics in cellular senescence. We established a new culture method to maintain the stemness, proliferation, motility, and osteogenic differentiation potential of MSCs by serially passaging the cells on stepwise surface-elastic gels. Evidence points toward the complex interplay between mechanical memories and actin dynamics and their implications for autophagic activity in the delaying of senescent MSCs via hydrogels. Our findings suggest that mechanoregulation of culture substrates finely tunes the balance between cellular stress, redox homeostasis, and cytoskeletal dynamics to delay the progression of MSC senescence.
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spelling doaj-art-a62cc209f8bd4bb8bce4fb38ebd48b822025-08-20T03:45:26ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111510.1038/s41598-025-04779-7Surface-elastic hydrogels delay senescence via the modulation of redox homeostasis and cytoskeletal tensionThasaneeya Kuboki0Satoru Kidoaki1Laboratory of Biomedical and Biophysical Chemistry, Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu UniversityLaboratory of Biomedical and Biophysical Chemistry, Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu UniversityAbstract The Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in clinical applications owing to their therapeutic properties. However, in vitro expansion of MSCs in tissue culture dishes induces aging, which reduces their quality through an undefined mechanism. This study delineates the role of substrate stiffness as a potential modulator to delay MSC aging by elucidating the senescence progression of preconditioned and serially passaged MSCs on engineered stiffness-tunable gelatinous hydrogels. We demonstrated that mechanoactivation of MSCs increased their radical-scavenging capacity, maintained redox homeostasis, restored actin dynamics, and maintained their therapeutic properties. The hydrogels alleviated hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress, linking mechanical signaling to redox balance and senescence. These hydrogels restored actin remodeling, highlighting the importance of cytoskeletal tension and dynamics in cellular senescence. We established a new culture method to maintain the stemness, proliferation, motility, and osteogenic differentiation potential of MSCs by serially passaging the cells on stepwise surface-elastic gels. Evidence points toward the complex interplay between mechanical memories and actin dynamics and their implications for autophagic activity in the delaying of senescent MSCs via hydrogels. Our findings suggest that mechanoregulation of culture substrates finely tunes the balance between cellular stress, redox homeostasis, and cytoskeletal dynamics to delay the progression of MSC senescence.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04779-7MSC agingCellular senescenceSurface-elasticity-tunable gelatinous hydrogelRedox homeostasisCytoskeletal tensionDelay senescence
spellingShingle Thasaneeya Kuboki
Satoru Kidoaki
Surface-elastic hydrogels delay senescence via the modulation of redox homeostasis and cytoskeletal tension
Scientific Reports
MSC aging
Cellular senescence
Surface-elasticity-tunable gelatinous hydrogel
Redox homeostasis
Cytoskeletal tension
Delay senescence
title Surface-elastic hydrogels delay senescence via the modulation of redox homeostasis and cytoskeletal tension
title_full Surface-elastic hydrogels delay senescence via the modulation of redox homeostasis and cytoskeletal tension
title_fullStr Surface-elastic hydrogels delay senescence via the modulation of redox homeostasis and cytoskeletal tension
title_full_unstemmed Surface-elastic hydrogels delay senescence via the modulation of redox homeostasis and cytoskeletal tension
title_short Surface-elastic hydrogels delay senescence via the modulation of redox homeostasis and cytoskeletal tension
title_sort surface elastic hydrogels delay senescence via the modulation of redox homeostasis and cytoskeletal tension
topic MSC aging
Cellular senescence
Surface-elasticity-tunable gelatinous hydrogel
Redox homeostasis
Cytoskeletal tension
Delay senescence
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04779-7
work_keys_str_mv AT thasaneeyakuboki surfaceelastichydrogelsdelaysenescenceviathemodulationofredoxhomeostasisandcytoskeletaltension
AT satorukidoaki surfaceelastichydrogelsdelaysenescenceviathemodulationofredoxhomeostasisandcytoskeletaltension