title: Microfluidic technology enhances the potential of human pluripotent stem cells.
abstract: Since the discovery of human somatic cell reprogramming, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) have been increasingly recognized as the landmark for development of organs-on-chip. hiPSCs show a remarkable plasticity that is related to their ability to promptly respond to the surrounding environment. In vitro, the soluble culture microenvironment, with its critical balance between exogenous and cell-secreted factors, plays a great role in inducing hiPSC response, for both preserving pluripotency and controlling differentiation stages. Exploring the complexity of hiPSC microenvironment requires new experimental tools, as a tight control is limited within conventional culture dishes. Microfluidic technology is particularly attractive in hiPSC research because of its ability to mimic specific environmental cues by accurate control of soluble factors with high spatiotemporal resolution and in a high-throughput fashion. In this review, we highlight recent progress in hiPSC research enabled by microfluidic technology as well as new emerging scenarios.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Italy; Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Onelia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gagliano
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Italy; Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Elvassore
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Italy; Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy; Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: camilla.luni@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luni
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012995:Solubility
keywords: Differentiation; Embryonic stem cell; Microfluidic; Organ on chip; Pluripotent stem cell; Reprogramming; Tissue on chip