Biomaterials for stem cell differentiation

Abstract

Stem cell-based therapeutic treatments hold great promise in treating diseases by replacement of body parts and organs through the generation of new tissues. Directing the controlled differentiation of stem cells into a lineage-specific manner requires a controlled biophysical and biochemical microenvironment and signals. Biomaterials may act as artificial microenvironments and therefore, can deliver stem cell regulatory signals in a precise and near-physiological fashion. A variety of biomaterials are being developed that support cellular attachment, proliferation and most importantly lineage-specific differentiation. Development of new intelligent biomaterials in synergy with cell biology will advance stem cell-based clinical therapeutics. This review discusses the various biomaterials, in particular polymers, applied towards the goal of lineage-specific differentiation of stem cells.