The most effective Electrical Stimulation for Neural Differentiation of Conjunctiva Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Aim and Background: The integration of biomaterial conductive scaffolds and electrical stimulation (ES) has been found to significantly enhance the differentiation of stem cells into electro-responsive cells such as neural cells. This research endeavors to produce PCL/PPY nanofiber scaffolds using the electrospinning technique, and to examine how the duration of ES influences the neural differentiation of Conjunctiva Mesenchymal Stem Cells (CJMSCs). Methods: The scaffold s topography was analyzed through SEM and TEM microscopy and FTIR. CJMSCs were cultivated on the scaffold before being exposed to electrical current at 115 V m−1 at 100 Hz for 1 minute per day for a week. The impact of the nanofiber scaffold and electrical current on cell viability and neural marker gene (Nestin) expression was examined via MTT assay and qPCR analysis. Results and discussion: The biocompatibility of the PCL-PPy nanofiber scaffold was found to be satisfactory in our study. Furthermore, the results of q-PCR analysis showed that electrical stimulation for a duration of one minute per day over a period of seven days can promote neural differentiation of CJMSCs, as evidenced by a significant increase (approximately 213-fold) in the expression level of Nestin gene. Conclusion: This study highlights the potential applications of combining electrical current with an electrically conductive nanofibrous scaffold in the field of neural tissue engineering.