Abstract
Stem cells are immature cells that can potentially differentiate into multiple specialized cell types. The wonderful properties of stem cells, such as the ability to undergo both self-renewal and differentiation, make them a great cell source for regenerative medicine. The application of stem cells to tissue regeneration requires the development of suitable scaffolds to support their growth and differentiation of to the target cell type. The scaffolds should ideally be biocompatible, biodegradable, and mechanically and morphologically mimetic to the stem cell niche. Thus, both natural and synthetic biomaterials have been used for stem cell-based tissue engineering, with exciting successes. In this chapter, we discuss the progress of biomaterial-directed stem cell differentiation over the past 10 years, aiming to provide a comprehensive but concise review of the biomaterials chosen for application to regenerative medicine.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Chemical Biology in Regenerative Medicine |
| Subtitle of host publication | Bridging Stem Cells and Future Therapies |
| Publisher | wiley |
| Pages | 181-201 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781118695746 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781118349595 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 4 2014 |
Keywords
- Biomaterial
- Differentiation
- Polymer
- Regenerative medicine
- Scaffold
- Stem cell
- Tissue engineering
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology