Maneuvering the Migration and Differentiation of Stem Cells with Electrospun Nanofibers

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jiajia Xue, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dario Pisignano, Università di Pisa; Younan Xia, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-08-01
• Publisher: Wiley Open Access
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/advs.202000735
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Advanced Science
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 15
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R01 EB020050) and startup funds from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Y.X.).
• Keywords: scaffolding materials; cell differentiation; cell migration; stem cells; electrospun nanofibers
• Research Categories: Biology, Cell

Abstract

Electrospun nanofibers have been extensively explored as a class of scaffolding materials for tissue regeneration, because of their unique capability to mimic some features and functions of the extracellular matrix, including the fibrous morphology and mechanical properties, and to a certain extent the chemical/biological cues. This work reviews recent progress in applying electrospun nanofibers to direct the migration of stem cells and control their differentiation into specific phenotypes. First, the physicochemical properties that make electrospun nanofibers well‐suited as a supporting material to expand stem cells by controlling their migration and differentiation are introduced. Then various systems are analyzed in conjunction with mesenchymal, neuronal, and embryonic stem cells, as well as induced pluripotent stem cells. Finally, some perspectives on the challenges and future opportunities in combining electrospun nanofibers with stem cells are offered to address clinical issues.