Frontiers of Engineering Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2012 Symposium (2013) / Chapter Skim
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Identification and Modulation of Biophysical Signals That Control Stem Cell Function and Fate--David V. Schaffer
Identification and Modulation of Biophysical Signals That Control Stem Cell Function and Fate--David V. Schaffer
Pages 129-136
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From page 129... ...
By virtue of these properties, stem cells play central roles in the development and maintenance of tissues throughout the body, and researchers in the biomedical field are increasingly exploring their potential in cell replacement therapies for treating human disease or injury. In particular, stem cells can theoretically be harvested, expanded, and differentiated in culture, and implanted for tissue regeneration.
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From page 130... ...
An emerging theme in stem cell research is to use engineered systems in cell culture -- ranging from synthetic materials to microfluidic devices -- to systematically vary these biophysical properties and thereby study their effects on stem cells, that is, to provide an "x-axis" in a manner that is not currently possible with genetic approaches. While there are inherent challenges with this paradigm -- including establishing the in vivo relevance of findings, as well as integrating engineering and biology approaches to explore the underlying mechanisms -- these engineering studies have broadened the field's view of the stem cell niche (Discher et al.
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From page 131... ...
Collectively, the studies described above have established the mechanical properties of the stem cell niche as a prominent regulator of fate choice, and offer the promise that mechanical aspects of synthetic materials can be manipulated to better control stem cell fate choice in culture. TOPOGRAPHICAL AND SHAPE FEATURES OF THE STEM CELL NICHE In addition to providing resident stem cells with a mechanical milieu, niches provide features that can alter the shape of a cell.
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From page 132... ...
Red is the neuronal marker TUJ1, green is the neuronal marker tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) , and blue is the nuclear dye DAPI.
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From page 133... ...
ELECTRIC FIELDS The role of electrophysiology in the cardiovascular and nervous systems is well appreciated, and a growing body of work has explored the possibility that electric fields may regulate the function of stem cells from these tissues. In initial work, heart muscle precursors became aligned with the direction of an electric field, exhibited a substantial increase in contractile amplitude, and expressed higher levels of various cardiac protein markers compared to cells that were not electrically stimulated (Radisic et al.
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From page 134... ...
Basic progress in understanding of key biochemical and biophysical cues can be integrated toward the development of advanced, defined, synthetic culture systems that are in some ways less complicated than current systems containing components derived from animal or human tissue. Finally, a major challenge in the application of stem cells for tissue engineering and repair is poor cell survival upon implantation into a site of injury or disease, although engineered systems and materials that increasingly integrate biological information to mimic the natural properties of tissue may serve as vehicles that enable cells to better adapt to their new niche after implantation.
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From page 135... ...
2008. Electrophysi ologic stimulation improves myogenic potential of muscle precursor cells grown in a 3D collagen scaffold.
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