Engineering surfaces for site-specific vascular differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells

Endothelial cells guided by immobilized gradients of vascular endothelial growth factor on porous collagen scaffolds

“…Another example of growth factor immobilization is to provide differentiation cues to stem-cells. This offers spatial control over the differentiation profile of the cells, as recently shown by the site-specific differentiation of embryonic stem cells into vascular or smooth muscle cells based on the immobilization profile of a growth factor [49].…”

Topographically and Chemically Modified Surfaces for Expansion or Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells

“…These experiments proved the applicability of immobilising growth factors for differentiation purposes. Taking this a level further, a cutting-edge setup showed that 100 μm wide lanes of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and collagen IV stamped onto an otherwise non-adhesive surface directed sitespecific differentiation of mES cell derived angiogenic progenitor cells into endothelial cells (Chiang et al, 2010). Taken together, the immobilisation of signalling molecules appears to be a versatile approach offering numerous possibilities of direction of site-specific differentiation in a dose-dependent manner.…”

“…Hence, the immobilization of naturally soluble macromolecules to affect intracellular signalling poses an attractive alternative. Biomaterials with immobile growth factors can be used to modulate cell behaviour including attachment, proliferation, alignment, and migration (Mieszawska & Kaplan 2010), but have also recently been used to control the ES cell differentiation state (Alberti et al, 2008;Brafman et al, 2009;Chiang et al, 2010;Nagaoka et al, 2008). Immobilised LIF activated the same intracellular pathways as soluble LIF and independently supported formation and growth of pluripotent mES cells (Alberti et al, 2008;Makino et al, 2004).…”

Surface Engineering to Control Embryonic Stem Cell Fate

“…Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 immobilized on polyamide nanofibrillar surfaces inhibits the rapid degradation of FGF-2 in solution and supports the expansion and colony formation of human ES cells (Nur-E-Kamal et al, 2008). Another study demonstrated that the cultivation of mouse ES cells on surfaces with immobilized vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) yields primarily endothelial cells, whereas their cultivation on such surfaces without VEGF yields primarily vascular smooth muscle-like cells (Chiang et al, 2010).…”