Context clues: The importance of stem cell-material interactions

Andrew S. Khalil, Angela W. Xie, William L. Murphy

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Understanding the processes by which stem cells give rise to de novo tissues is an active focus of stem cell biology and bioengineering disciplines. Instructive morphogenic cues surrounding the stem cell during morphogenesis create what is referred to as the stem cell microenvironment. An emerging paradigm in stem cell bioengineering involves "biologically driven assembly," in which stem cells are encouraged to largely define their own morphogenesis processes. However, even in the case of biologically driven assembly, stem cells do not act alone. The properties of the surrounding microenvironment can be critical regulators of cell fate. Stem cell-material interactions are among the most well-characterized microenvironmental effectors of stem cell fate and establish a signaling "context" that can define the mode of influence for morphogenic cues. Here we describe illustrative examples of cell-material interactions that occur during in vitro stem cell studies, with an emphasis on how cell-material interactions create instructive contexts for stem cell differentiation and morphogenesis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)45-56
Number of pages12
JournalACS Chemical Biology
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 17 2014
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2013 American Chemical Society.

Keywords

  • Biologically driven assembly
  • Cell-material adhesion
  • Embryoid body
  • Growth factor sequestering
  • Mechanotransduction
  • Stem cell biology
  • Stem cell microenvironment
  • Tissue morphogenesis

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