Lentiviral Arrays for Live-Cell Dynamic Monitoring of Gene and Pathway Activity During Stem Cell Differentiation

The 2014 study developed a lentiviral array (LVA) system to monitor gene and pathway activity in real-time during the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic lineages. The LVA system identified key pathways such as FGF-R, PI3K, and glucocorticoid-R, which were essential for all lineages, and highlighted the differential roles of pathways like TGF-β, ERK, and p38. The study involved human bone marrow MSCs and hair follicle MSCs, using fluorescence microscopy, staining methods, and western blot analysis to validate findings. This approach provided valuable insights into the temporal regulation of gene expression and pathway activation, aiding in the discovery of novel differentiation inducers and genes involved in lineage specification.