| Functional Polymeric
Microcapsules for Neural Stem Cell Culture |
Polymeric
microcapsules provide unique means to investigate
the influence of physical and biochemical cues
on stem cells in three-dimensional microenvironments
in vitro. Microcapsule parameters, such as permeability,
size and composition, can influence the viability,
proliferation and fate of cells cultured inside
the capsules. A major advantage that capsule-based
three-dimensional scaffolds have over their two-dimensional
counterparts is that they can more closely mimic
the natural stem cell niche in terms of secreted
factor presentation, cell-cell interaction, and
cell-substrate interaction. The 3-D scaffold is
able to provide improved cell-cell contact, cell-ECM
contact, and dispersion of secreted factors by
having the cells surround each other in 3-D space.
Furthermore, microcapsules show extraordinary promise
as delivery vehicles that facilitate implantation
and integration e.g. of neural stem cells or neuronal
progenitor cells into diseased parts of a brain
for therapeutic purposes. Summer students are invited
to contribute to the improvement of MEMS-based
microcapsule generators, the generation of transgenic
stem cell lines that express fluorescent marker
proteins, the encapsulation and culture of neural
stem cells, the analysis of cell fate by confocal
fluorescence microscopy or the development of software
tools for automated image analysis and experiment
evaluation. |
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