title: Biomaterials for stem cell differentiation.
abstract: The promise of cellular therapy lies in the repair of damaged organs and tissues in vivo as well as generating tissue constructs in vitro for subsequent transplantation. Unfortunately, the lack of available donor cell sources limits its ultimate clinical applicability. Stem cells are a natural choice for cell therapy due to their pluripotent nature and self-renewal capacity. Creating reserves of undifferentiated stem cells and subsequently driving their differentiation to a lineage of choice in an efficient and scalable manner is critical for the ultimate clinical success of cellular therapeutics. In recent years, a variety of biomaterials have been incorporated in stem cell cultures, primarily to provide a conducive microenvironment for their growth and differentiation and to ultimately mimic the stem cell niche. In this review, we examine applications of natural and synthetic materials, their modifications as well as various culture conditions for maintenance and lineage-specific differentiation of embryonic and adult stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Gazell
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mapili
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.forename: Sabia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taqvi
authors.forename: Krishnendu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible