title: Alternating current electric field effects on neural stem cell viability and differentiation.
abstract: Methods utilizing stem cells hold tremendous promise for tissue engineering applications; however, many issues must be worked out before these therapies can be routinely applied. Utilization of external cues for preimplantation expansion and differentiation offers a potentially viable approach to the use of stem cells in tissue engineering. The studies reported here focus on the response of murine neural stem cells encapsulated in alginate hydrogel beads to alternating current electric fields. Cell viability and differentiation was studied as a function of electric field magnitude and frequency. We applied fields of frequency (0.1-10) Hz, and found a marked peak in neural stem cell viability under oscillatory electric fields with a frequency of 1 Hz. We also found an enhanced propensity for astrocyte differentiation over neuronal differentiation in the 1 Hz cultures, as compared to the other field frequencies we studied.
authors.affiliation: Polymers Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA. mmatos@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Marvi A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.forename: Marcus T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Cicerone
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000528:radiation effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008839:Microelectrodes; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008863:Microspheres; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010316:Particle Size; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D020723:Glucuronic Acid