Electrical charge on ferroelectric nanocomposite membranes enhances SHED neural differentiation

Xiaochan Li; Boon Chin Heng; Yunyang Bai; Qianqian Wang; Min Gao; Ying He; Xinwen Zhang; Xuliang Deng; Xuehui Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.05.007

Electrical charge on ferroelectric nanocomposite membranes enhances SHED neural differentiation

Bioact Mater. 2022 May 21:20:81-92. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.05.007. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

Xiaochan Li^{1

2

3}, Boon Chin Heng⁴, Yunyang Bai¹, Qianqian Wang¹, Min Gao¹, Ying He¹, Xinwen Zhang⁵, Xuliang Deng^{1

6}, Xuehui Zhang^{2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, PR China.
² Department of Dental Materials & Dental Medical Devices Testing Center, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, PR China.
³ Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, PR China.
⁴ Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, PR China.
⁵ Center of Implant Dentistry, School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Shenyang, 110002, PR China.
⁶ National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, NMPA Key Laboratory for Dental Materials, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, PR China.

Abstract

Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) uniquely exhibit high proliferative and neurogenic potential. Charged biomaterials have been demonstrated to promote neural differentiation of stem cells, but the dose-response effect of electrical stimuli from these materials on neural differentiation of SHED remains to be elucidated. Here, by utilizing different annealing temperatures prior to corona poling treatment, BaTiO₃/P(VDF-TrFE) ferroelectric nanocomposite membranes with varying charge polarization intensity (d ₃₃ ≈ 0, 4, 12 and 19 pC N^-1) were fabricated. Enhanced expression of neural markers, increased cell elongation and more prominent neurite outgrowths were observed with increasing surface charge of the nanocomposite membrane indicating a dose-response effect of surface electrical charge on SHED neural differentiation. Further investigations of the underlying molecular mechanisms revealed that intracellular calcium influx, focal adhesion formation, FAK-ERK mechanosensing pathway and neurogenic-related ErbB signaling pathway were implicated in the enhancement of SHED neural differentiation by surface electrical charge. Hence, this study confirms the dose-response effect of biomaterial surface charge on SHED neural differentiation and provides preliminary insights into the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved.

Keywords: Dose-response effect; Electric polarization; Electrical microenvironment; Neurogenesis; Surface charge.