title: Engineering of the embryonic and adult stem cell niches.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stem cells have the potential to generate a renewable source of cells for regenerative medicine due to their ability to self-renew and differentiate to various functional cell types of the adult organism. The extracellular microenvironment plays a pivotal role in controlling stem cell fate responses. Therefore, identification of appropriate environmental stimuli that supports cellular proliferation and lineage-specific differentiation is critical for the clinical application of the stem cell therapies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Traditional methods for stem cells culture offer limited manipulation and control of the extracellular microenvironment. Micro engineering approaches are emerging as powerful tools to control stem cell-microenvironment interactions and for performing high-throughput stem cell experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this review, we provided an overview of the application of technologies such as surface micropatterning, microfluidics, and engineered biomaterials for directing stem cell behavior and determining the molecular cues that regulate cell fate decisions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stem cells have enormous potential for therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications, because they can give rise to various cell types. Despite their therapeutic potential, many challenges, including the lack of control of the stem cell microenvironment remain. Thus, a greater understanding of stem cell biology that can be used to expand and differentiate embryonic and adult stem cells in a directed manner offers great potential for tissue repair and regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Qazvin University of Medical Science, Qazvin, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseinkhani
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shirazi
authors.forename: Farzad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rajaei
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.forename: Navid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbasi
keywords: Biocompatible Materials; Cell Differentiation; Cellular Microenvironment; Stem Cells