Nanomechanics to Drive Stem Cells in Injured Tissues: Insights from Current Research and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Stem cells reside within tissue, ensuring its natural ability to repair an injury. They are involved in the natural repair of damaged tissue, which encompasses a complex process requiring the modulation of cell survival, extracellular matrix turnover, angiogenesis, and reverse remodeling. To date, the real reparative potential of each tissue is underestimated and noncommittal. The assessment of the biophysical properties of the extracellular environment is an innovative approach to better understand mechanisms underlying stem cell function, and consequently to develop safe and effective therapeutic strategies replacing the loss of tissue. Recent studies have focused on the role played by biomechanical signals that drive stem cell death, differentiation, and paracrinicity in a genetic and/or an epigenetic manner. Mechanical stimuli acting on the shape can influence the biochemistry and gene expression of resident stem cells and, therefore, the magnitude of biological responses that promote the healing of injured tissue. Nanotechnologies have proven to be a revolutionary tool capable of dissecting the cellular mechanosensing apparatus, allowing the intercellular cross-talk to be decoded and enabling the reparative potential of tissue to be enhanced without manipulation of stem cells. This review highlights the most relevant findings of stem cell mechanobiology and presents a fascinating perspective in regenerative medicine.

Schwann Cell Contact Guidance versus Boundary ­Interaction in Functional Wound Healing along Nano and Microstructured Membranes

“…These substrates can impose a geometrical constrain to focal adhesion maturation acting on the ROCK‐mediated contractility pathway . Beyond neurons, addressing specific aspects of SC motility on GRs completes the picture and add relevant information for novel biomaterial‐based strategies to enhance nerve regeneration . After injury, SCs align longitudinally in columns to promote the regrowth of injured axons, leading to axonal alignment in their direction .…”

Impaired Neurite Contact Guidance in Ubiquitin Ligase E3a (Ube3a)‐Deficient Hippocampal Neurons on Nanostructured Substrates

“…Cell contact interaction with extracellular domains assists in regulating many physiological and pathological processes, and can be exploited to manipulate cell responses in vitro . All cells within the brain are exposed to extracellular signals determined by the local micro/nanoenvironment; here the contact sensing combines with complex signaling to affect neuronal migration and wiring, and the continuous functional remodeling of neurites and synapses .…”

Nanotechnological Strategies for Biofabrication of Human Organs

“…The number of nanotechnology-related papers in tissue engineering journals and tissue-engineeringrelated papers in nanotechnology journal has also dramatically increased especially during last decade. Finally, recent reviews on nanotechnology applications in tissue engineering are another confirmation of this trend [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. However, it is not immediately obvious how nanomaterials with nanolevel organization could be used for biofabricating 3D tissue and organs which have macrolevel of organization.…”