Engineering physical microenvironment for stem cell based regenerative medicine

Han YL 1 , Wang S 2 , Zhang X 1 , Li Y 1 , Huang G 1 , Qi H 3 Show all authors , Pingguan-Murphy B 4 , Li Y 5 , Lu TJ 6 , Xu F 7

Affiliations 

  • 1 The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710049, China; Bioinspired Engineering & Biomechanics Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710049, China
  • 2 Brigham Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
  • 3 Bioinspired Engineering & Biomechanics Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710049, China
  • 4 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia
  • 5 State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and training Center, Beijing, 100094, China
  • 6 Bioinspired Engineering & Biomechanics Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710049, China. Electronic address: tjlu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn
  • 7 The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710049, China; Bioinspired Engineering & Biomechanics Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710049, China. Electronic address: fengxu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn
Drug Discov Today, 2014 Jun;19(6):763-73.
PMID: 24508818 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.01.015

Abstract

Regenerative medicine has rapidly evolved over the past decade owing to its potential applications to improve human health. Targeted differentiations of stem cells promise to regenerate a variety of tissues and/or organs despite significant challenges. Recent studies have demonstrated the vital role of the physical microenvironment in regulating stem cell fate and improving differentiation efficiency. In this review, we summarize the main physical cues that are crucial for controlling stem cell differentiation. Recent advances in the technologies for the construction of physical microenvironment and their implications in controlling stem cell fate are also highlighted.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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