Intradiscal Injection of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Nucleus Pulposus-Like Cell-Seeded Polymeric Microspheres Promotes Rat Disc Regeneration

Figure 3

The differentiation of hiPSCs into NP-lCs. (a) Optical microscopy images of the differentiation process: hiPSCs (I and II), MCs (III and IV), and NP-lCs (V and VI). 4x (scale  μm), 10x (scale  μm). (c) Alcian blue staining and S-O staining of the differentiated NP-lCs. 4x (scale ), 10x (scale ). (d) qRT-PCR analysis of COL2, ACAN, CA12, and COL1 mRNA expression levels in NP-lCs, MCs, and hiPSCs; . (e) Immunofluorescence images of COL2 and ACAN staining in NP-lCs. 10x (scale ), 20x (scale ).

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