• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
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• v.4C no.4
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• pp.176-180
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• 2004

This paper presents the fabrication and test of a micro cell exciter actuated by an electromagnetic force for the study on the chondrogenic differentiation of rabbit mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The micro cell exciter is designed to apply compressive loading to the alginate gel mixed with the MSCs. The magnetic cell exciter consists of an actuator component and a cartridge-type chamber component. An actuator is composed of a permanent magnet, a core and a coil. The chamber has seven PMMA wells and a cell culture Petri dish. Two types of alginate gels were stimulated by the cell exciters for 10 minutes every 12 hours for 7 days. In order to determine the expression of these matrix components during differentiation, RT-PCR analysis was performed. Collagen type II was expressed in the MSCs subjected to the compressive stimulation.