Artificial niche substrates for embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell cultures

Stem cells possess the ability to self-renew and differentiate into other cell types. In vivo, stem cells reside in their own anatomic niches in a defined physiological environment, from which they are released to differentiate into a required cell type when deemed appropriate. While a resident within the niche, the stem cell receives signals that in turn maintain the cell in a pluripotent state. In addition, the niche also provides nourishment to the cell. Physically, the niche also serves to anchor the cell via various ECM components and cell-adhesion molecules. Therefore, in vitro models that replicate the in vivo niche will lead to a better understanding of stem cell fate and turnover. In turn, this will help inform attempts to culture stem cells in vitro on artificial niche-like substrates. In this review, we have highlighted recent studies describing artificial niche-like substrates used to culture embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells in vitro.