Recent advances in embryonic stem cell engineering toward tailored lineage differentiation

Abstract

Embryonic stem cell-based drug screening and therapeutics provide unique opportunities for drug discovery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Despite the great promise, a major limitation in translation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) technology to clinical applications is how to direct their differentiation into tailored lineage commitment. This lineage commitment is precisely controlled by the ESC microenvironment in vivo. Engineering strategies to reconstruct a biomimetic microenvironment offer useful tools for guiding ESC differentiation in vitro. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize and examine the latest literatures describing application of engineering approaches to control ESC differentiation. We review recent studies and techniques that focus on physical strategies (e.g., geometrical constraint, mechanical force, extracellular matrix stiffness, and topography) and biochemical approaches (e.g., genetic engineering, immobilized growth factors, coculture) and highlight the significance of creating three - dimensional (3D) microenvironment for directed ESC differentiation. The perspectives in engineering ESC microenvironments are also discussed for future advancement of this emerging field.