Response of a tenomodulin-positive subpopulation of human adipose-derived stem cells to decellularized tendon slices.

The selection of appropriate cell sources is vital for the regeneration and repair of tendons using stem cell-based approaches. Human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for tendon injuries. However, the heterogeneity of hADSCs can lead to inconsistent or suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. In this study, we isolated and identified a tenomodulin (TNMD)-positive subpopulation from hADSCs (TNMD⁺hADSCs) using flow cytometry and then assessed the cellular response of this subpopulation to decellularized tendon slices (DTSs), including cell proliferation, migration, and tenogenic differentiation, using the CCK-8 assay, transwell migration assay, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our findings revealed that TNMD⁺hADSCs maintained the general characteristics of stem cells and exhibited significantly higher expressions of tendon-related markers compared to hADSCs. Importantly, DTSs significantly enhanced the proliferation, migration, and tenogenic differentiation of TNMD⁺hADSCs. This study provides preliminary experimental evidence for the translational application of ADSCs for tendon regeneration and repair.