Microfluidic systems for stem cell-based neural tissue engineering.
Neural tissue engineering aims at developing novel approaches for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, by providing a permissive environment for the growth and differentiation of neural cells. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems provide a closer biomimetic environment, and promote better cell differentiation and improved cell function, than could be achieved by conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture systems. With the recent advances in the discovery and introduction of different types of stem cells for tissue engineering, microfluidic platforms have provided an improved microenvironment for the 3D-culture of stem cells. Microfluidic systems can provide more precise control over the spatiotemporal distribution of chemical and physical cues at the cellular level compared to traditional systems. Various microsystems have been designed and fabricated for the purpose of neural tissue engineering. Enhanced neural migration and differentiation, and monitoring of these processes, as well as understanding the behavior of stem cells and their microenvironment have been obtained through application of different microfluidic-based stem cell culture and tissue engineering techniques. As the technology advances it may be possible to construct a "brain-on-a-chip". In this review, we describe the basics of stem cells and tissue engineering as well as microfluidics-based tissue engineering approaches. We review recent testing of various microfluidic approaches for stem cell-based neural tissue engineering.
Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. m_karimy2006@yahoo.com sajadbahrami2021@yahoo.com.
Mahdi
M
Karimi
Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. m_karimy2006@yahoo.com sajadbahrami2021@yahoo.com and Nanomedicine Research Association (NRA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
Sajad
S
Bahrami
Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. hamedmirshekari83@gmail.com.
Hamed
H
Mirshekari
Bioenvironmental Research Center, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. moosavi@europe.com and Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Seyed Masoud Moosavi
SM
Basri
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Iran. amir.bakhshian@gmail.com.
Amirala Bakhshian
AB
Nik
Department of Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Amir_aref@hms.harvard.edu.
Amir R
AR
Aref
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA. makbari@uvic.ca and Laboratory for Innovations in MicroEngineering (LiME), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Mohsen
M
Akbari
Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. hamblin@helix.mgh.harvard.edu and Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA and Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Michael R
MR
Hamblin
D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*