title: Micropatterning of human embryonic stem cells dissects the mesoderm and endoderm lineages.
abstract: Human pluripotent cells such as human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are a great potential source of cells for cell-based therapies; however, directing their differentiation into the desired cell types with high purity remains a challenge. The stem cell microenvironment plays a vital role in directing hESC fate and we have previously shown that manipulation of colony size in a serum- and cytokine-free environment controls self-renewal and differentiation toward the extraembryonic endoderm lineage. Here we show that, in the presence of bone morphogenetic protein 2 and activin A, control of colony size using a microcontact printing technology is able to direct hESC fate to either the mesoderm or the endoderm lineage. Large, 1200-mum-diameter colonies give rise to mesoderm, while small 200-mum colonies give rise to definitive endoderm. This study links, for the first time, cellular organization to pluripotent cell differentiation along the mesoderm and endoderm lineages.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3E1.
authors.forename: Lawrence Haoran
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Raheem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peerani
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ungrin
authors.forename: Chirag
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kumacheva
authors.forename: Peterw
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zandstra
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000494:pharmacology; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D004707:Endoderm / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins