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The new method can control stem cell differentiation on demand.
Stem cells are highly versatile, and scientists have long been puzzled about which organs or tissues they will ultimately become. According to a report by the American Physical Society’s website on August 28
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Stem cells are highly versatile, and scientists have long been puzzled about which organs or tissues they will ultimately become. According to a report by the American Physical Society’s website on August 28, scientists recently presented an advanced cell-culturing surface at the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, which helps researchers control the developmental direction of stem cells. This research offers an innovative approach for the field of regenerative medicine, enabling the cultivation of organs and tissues that can be used for transplantation and disease treatment.
Pluripotent human embryonic stem cells are cells derived from embryos that have the potential to develop into hundreds of different cell types. The culture system exhibits a certain degree of “uncertainty”—different batches of mouse cells may show a variety of variations—and controlling their differentiation direction represents a major challenge in stem-cell-based therapeutic research. Previous approaches involved adding substances that regulate growth; however, this could inadvertently cause unforeseen harm to the cells.
At the presentation, Dr. Laura L. Kiesling from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin in the United States stated that stem cells hold great potential in regenerative medicine, new drug development, and cutting-edge biomedical research. However, to fully unlock this potential, two major challenges must be overcome: First, finding a way to culture and propagate human stem cells in the laboratory; second, controlling stem cells to differentiate and grow into any desired type of cell—such as heart or brain cells—as needed. The new approach has achieved promising results in addressing these challenges.
Kisling and his colleagues have artificially synthesized a pure chemical culture substrate whose outer surface corresponds to various peptides— the basic building blocks of proteins— significantly reducing the uncertainty in the direction of stem cell differentiation. This purely chemical culture substrate allows researchers to exert precise control over the cells’ “signaling” pathways. “Signaling” refers to the way molecules within cells communicate with each other—for example, instructing immune cells to prepare to fight off foreign infections or signaling pancreatic cells that the body needs more insulin. By controlling molecular communication inside stem cells, researchers can direct these cells to differentiate into specific types of cells.
To test this chemically pure culture medium’s ability to modulate signaling, the researchers also tested it on cancer cells using β-transforming growth factor (β-TGF), which regulates a variety of cellular functions—from cell growth to cell death. The experimental results showed that this culture medium can promote wound healing. Kessler explained that although β-TGF aids in wound healing, it can cause skin inflammation if it comes into contact with healthy skin. However, by using this culture medium—in the form of, for example, a specially designed bandage that concentrates a particular peptide only at the local site—the β-TGF can be directed exclusively to the wound area.
Kissling believes that to cultivate replacement organs through tissue engineering, researchers must be able to direct the developmental trajectory of cells. By designing multiple culture surfaces tailored to various peptides, it becomes possible to guide embryonic stem cells to differentiate precisely as needed. These culture surfaces make it easier to fabricate organs and tissues in the laboratory and represent a more advanced approach to stem cell production.
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