Nano engineering for regenerative medicine

Recent studies have found that nanoengineered matrices, such as nanofibers, are advantageous for cell culture because they facilitate intracellular signaling pathways required for adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, due to their 3D topological features at the subcellular level. In addition to the advantages of nanofibers, we can integrate various types of molecules (i.e. peptides, proteins, DNA/RNA, and PCPs) into nanofibers to increase their functionality.

In addition to the multifunctional nanofibrous matrices, “Fiber-on-Fiber” has potential applications in hPSC expansion, differentiation, cryopreservation, and transplantation. “Fiber-on-Fiber” substrate is physically strong and flexible because it is comprised of microfibrous sheets, and hence it can be manipulated to fit the shapes of cultured cells by superposing, cutting, and folding; therefore, while it is challenging to use conventional cell culture matrices to establish 3D tissues due to lack of their flexibility, “Fiber-on-Fiber” allows the creation of functional 3D tissues derived from hPSCs.

Furthermore, the use of biodegradable materials to fabricate “Fiber-on-Fiber” allows the transplantation of differentiated cells into patients. We believe that the “Fiber-on-Fiber” matrices would fulfill a large number of requirements (i.e. culture, differentiation, cryopreservation, and transplantation) and be suitable for both basic and clinical applications of hPSCs. We have also developed new culture and cryopreservation methods for undifferentiated hPSCs; I envision that these matrices will be a strong contender for regenerative medicine and cell-based therapy.