Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA.
Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2013 Oct;24(5):841-6. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2013.03.009. Epub 2013 Mar 29.
Advances in our understanding and ability to manipulate stem cell behavior are helping to move stem cell-based therapies toward the clinic. However, much of our knowledge has been gained from standard 2-dimensional culture systems, which often misrepresent many of the signals that stem cells receive in their native 3-dimensional environments. Fortunately, the field of synthetic hydrogels is developing to better recapitulate many of these signals to guide stem cell behavior, both as in vitro models and as delivery vehicles for in vivo implantation. These include a multitude of structural and biochemical cues that can be presented on the cellular scale, such as degradation, adhesion, mechanical signals, topography, and the presentation of growth factors, often with precise spatiotemporal control.
我们对干细胞行为的理解和操纵能力的提高正在帮助将基于干细胞的疗法推向临床。然而，我们的大部分知识都是从标准的二维培养系统中获得的，这些系统往往不能真实反映干细胞在其天然三维环境中接收到的许多信号。幸运的是，合成水凝胶领域正在发展，以更好地再现许多这些信号来指导干细胞行为，无论是作为体外模型还是作为体内植入的输送载体。这些信号包括可以在细胞尺度上呈现的多种结构和生化线索，例如降解、粘附、机械信号、形貌和生长因子的呈现，通常具有精确的时空控制。
