Webinar #39: Bioengineering Approaches to Force Stem Cells to Behave on Cellular Microenvironment
Bioengineering Approaches to Force Stem Cells to Behave on Cellular Microenvironment
Dr. Tuğba Topal
Uşak University
19th October 2021, 13:00 (Turkish Time)
Abstract:
The development of an organism from a zygote into a fully functional 3D individual is a process in which a strong coupling of morphogens and mechanical forces is coordinated with embryo shape. During development, cells communicate with each other through cell-cell junctions and with their microenvironment via mechanical cues to regulate cell fate, re-organize the extracellular matrix, and guide developmental process. Most studies on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) focused on how external soluble factors including growth factors and small inhibitors, gene and protein expression, and signaling pathways to maintain stemness or initiate differentiation of these cells. A various array of environmental factors including the effect of geometry and mechanical properties of extracellular matrix on stem cells contributes to altering stem cell fate. Recently, increasing evidence has revealed the importance of mechanical factors in affecting migration, proliferation and stem cell differentiation in vitro.
This talk will be focused on the development and application of novel bioengineering tools and approaches to understand the effects of mechanical forces on hESC behaviors and the directed differentiation of hESCs on different microenvironments. Specifically, by employing a novel technique, acoustic tweezing cytometery (ATC), that utilizes ultrasound pulses to actuate functionalized microbubbles targeted to integrin in order to apply cyclic strain to hESCs; a polymer surface that maintains stemness and allows robust proliferation of hESCs; and finally, a scalable 3D culture platform that facilitates systematic screening of physical, chemical, and biological properties that drive hESCs into neurons in conjugation with soluble factors.
