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Two-Photon Polymerization as a Tool for Studying 3D Printed Topography-Induced Stem Cell Fate
Kristan S Worthington1, Anh-Vu Do2, Rasheid Smith2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
Macromolecular Bioscience
|November 16, 2018
Summary
Two-photon polymerization enables precise control over stem cell differentiation using patterned biomaterials. Small surface features promote ectodermal differentiation, while larger features inhibit self-renewal.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Stem Cell Biology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Geometric topographies influence cell differentiation.
- Fabricating diverse topographical substrates for cell studies is challenging.
- Two-photon polymerization is an emerging technique for micro/nanofabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of varying feature-size on topographical surfaces fabricated by two-photon polymerization on human-induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation.
- To demonstrate the potential of two-photon polymerization for controlling stem cell fate.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two-photon polymerization to create topographical patterns with feature sizes down to 1.6 µm.
- Cultured human-induced pluripotent stem cells on patterned substrates and a smooth control for one week.
- Analyzed stem cell differentiation using genetic markers.
Main Results:
- Stem cells differentiated into a heterogeneous population of multipotent progenitors from all three germ layers.
- Small features (1.6 µm) promoted differentiation toward ectoderm.
- Large features (8 µm) inhibited stem cell self-renewal compared to the control.
Conclusions:
- Two-photon polymerization is a viable method for fabricating substrates to study stem cell-material interactions.
- Substrate topography can be used to guide stem cell differentiation toward specific lineages.
- Tailored biomaterials can enable precise control of cell phenotypes in vitro and in vivo.
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