Neural regeneration aimed at repairing the central nervous system, including brain and spinal cord injuries, poses major challenges in clinical practice. To overcome this, targeted differentiation of stem cells into neurons has been developed for cell replacement therapy. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with self-renewal capacity and the ability to differentiate into multiple cell types, such as osteogenic (bone), adipogenic (fat), chondrogenic (cartilage), and neurogenic lines, which holds enormous promise for the field of regenerative medicine. For this purpose, precise control over the differentiation process is crucial for the development of therapeutic approaches. Previous studies have shown that in the natural stem cell niche, the biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix, such as topography, stiffness, elasticity, and bioelectricity, have a refined influence on the behavior of stem cells, including their adhesion, self-renewal, migration, and differentiation. In addition, the ECM architecture of nerve tissue in vivo is remarkably complex in structure, ranging from nanometers to micrometers, which enables interactions with cells and regulates their behavior and fate. Micro- and nanoscale cues can promote stem cell differentiation through the interaction between cells and micro- and nanostructured surfaces. Using the BiomACS translational culture system, we conducted research to understand these interactions, and the research shows that combined nano- and microtopography can improve neural differentiation. This provides insights for the design of neurogenic therapies.
Publications:
- Yang, L., Jurczak, K. M., Ge, L., & van Rijn, P. (2020). High‐throughput screening and hierarchical topography‐mediated neural differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Advanced healthcare materials, 9(11), 2000117.