The Role of Physical Stimuli on Calcium Channels in Chondrogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Author: Uzieliene I1, Bernotas P2, Mobasheri A3,4,5, Bernotiene E6 Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Department of Regenerative Medicine, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, LT-08406 Vilnius, Lithuania. ilona.uzieliene@imcentras.lt. <sup>2</sup>Department of Regenerative Medicine, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, LT-08406 Vilnius, Lithuania. bernotaspaul@gmail.com. <sup>3</sup>Department of Regenerative Medicine, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, LT-08406 Vilnius, Lithuania. a.mobasheri@surrey.ac.uk. <sup>4</sup>Department of Veterinary Pre-Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UK. a.mobasheri@surrey.ac.uk. <sup>5</sup>Arthritis Research UK Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK. a.mobasheri@surrey.ac.uk. <sup>6</sup>Department of Regenerative Medicine, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, LT-08406 Vilnius, Lithuania. eiva.bernotiene@imcentras.lt. Conference/Journal: Int J Mol Sci. Date published: 2018 Oct 1 Other: Volume ID: 19 , Issue ID: 10 , Special Notes: doi: 10.3390/ijms19102998. , Word Count: 167 Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) are becoming increasingly popular in tissue engineering. They are the most frequently used stem cell source for clinical applications due to their high potential to differentiate into several lineages. Cartilage is known for its low capacity for self-maintenance and currently there are no efficient methods to improve cartilage repair. Chondrogenic differentiation of hMSC isolated from different tissues is widely employed due to a high clinical demand for the improvement of cartilage regeneration. Calcium channels that are regulated by physical stimuli seem to play a pivotal role in chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs. These channels increase intracellular calcium concentration, which leads to the initiation of the relevant cellular processes that are required for differentiation. This review will focus on the impact of different physical stimuli, including electrical, electromagnetic/magnetic and mechanical on various calcium channels and calcium signaling mechanisms during chondrogenic differentiation of hMSC. KEYWORDS: calcium channels; chondrogenic differentiation; electrical stimulation; electromagnetic field; human mesenchymal stem cells; magnetic field; mechanical stimulation PMID: 30275359 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19102998