title: Multidimensional nanomaterials for the control of stem cell fate.
abstract: Current stem cell therapy suffers low efficiency in giving rise to differentiated cell lineages, which can replace the original damaged cells. Nanomaterials, on the other hand, provide unique physical size, surface chemistry, conductivity, and topographical microenvironment to regulate stem cell differentiation through multidimensional approaches to facilitate gene delivery, cell-cell, and cell-ECM interactions. In this review, nanomaterials are demonstrated to work both alone and synergistically to guide selective stem cell differentiation. From three different nanotechnology families, three approaches are shown: (1) soluble microenvironmental factors; (2) insoluble physical microenvironment; and (3) nano-topographical features. As regenerative medicine is heavily invested in effective stem cell therapy, this review is inspired to generate discussions in the potential clinical applications of multi-dimensional nanomaterials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA.
authors.forename: Sy-Tsong Dean
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chueng
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA.
authors.forename: Letao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA.
authors.forename: Yixiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA.
authors.forename: Ki-Bum
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Biomaterials; Differentiation; Electrospun nanofibers; Graphene; Nanoparticles; Stem cells