3D spheroids versus 2D-cultured human adipose stem cells to generate smooth muscle cells in an internal anal sphincter-targeting cryoinjured mouse model

Research Overview

Whether implanting adipose stem cells as 3D spheroids improves basal sphincter tone in fecal incontinence was unclear. This study compared 3D-spheroid and 2D-cultured human adipose stem cells for differentiation and development of a smooth-muscle contractile phenotype after implantation into an internal anal sphincter-targeted injury model.

The model was created in 60 rats by rapid freezing at −196 °C of the dorsal layers of the sphincter ring’s posterior quarter between the submucosal and muscular layers. Dil-labeled 3D and 2D cells were implanted into randomly allocated cryoinjured animals, and either the entire sphincter ring or the injured region was harvested to assess marker expression.