Biomimetics and Stem Cells, 2014 Methods and Protocols Methods in Molecular Biology Series, Vol. 1202

Biomimetics and Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols collects a series of approaches to demonstrate the role and value of biomimetics for the better understanding of stem cell behavior and the acceleration of their application in regenerative medicine. Recent advances in tissue engineering are enabling scientists to ??instruct?? stem cells toward differentiating into the right phenotypes, in the right place and at the right time. Given these advances, biomimetic environments are being designed to recapitulate, in vitro, the combinations of factors known to guide tissue development and regeneration in vivo and thereby help unlock the full potential of the stem cells. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

1. Derivation and Network Formation of Vascular Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

            Sravanti Kusuma, Bria Macklin, and Sharon Gerecht

2. High-Throughput Cell Aggregate Culture for Stem Cell Chondrogenesis

            Ahmad E. Abu-Hakmeh and Leo Q. Wan

3. Microfluidic Device to Culture 3D In VitroHuman Capillary Networks

            Monica L. Moya, Luis F. Alonzo, and Steven C. George

4. Multi-Function Co-Culture Model for Evaluating Cell-Cell Interactions

            Danielle R. Bogdanowicz and Helen H. Lu

5. Multiwell Plate Tools for Controlling Cellular Alignment with Grooved Topography

            Camila Londono, John Soleas, Petra B Lücker, Suthamathy Sathananthan, J. Stewart Aitchison, and Alison P. McGuigan

6. Bioreactor Cultivation of Anatomically-Shaped Human Bone Grafts

            Joshua P. Temple, Keith Yeager, Sarindr Bhumiratana, Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, and Warren L. Grayson

7. Determining the Role of Matrix Compliance in the Differentiation of Mammary Stem Cells

            KangAe Lee and Celeste M. Nelson

8. Conjugation of Proteins to Polymer Chains to Create Multivalent Molecules

            Anthony Conway, Dawn P. Spelke, and David V. Schaffer

9. An Assay to Quantify Chemotactic Properties of Degradation Products from Extracellular Matrix

            Brian M. Sicari, Li Zhang, Ricardo Londono, and Stephen F. Badylak

10. Biomimetic Strategies Incorporating Enzymes into CaP Coatings Mimicking the In Vivo Environment

            Ana M. Martins and Rui L. Reis

11. Fabrication of Biofunctionalized, Cell-Laden Macroporous 3D PEG Hydrogels as Bone Marrow Analogs for the Cultivation of Human Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

            Lisa Rödling, Annamarija Raic, and Cornelia Lee-Thedieck

12. Extracellular Matrix Mimetic Peptide Scaffolds for Neural Stem Cell Culture and Differentiation

            Busra Mammadov, Mustafa O. Guler, and Ayse B. Tekinay

13. The Delivery and Evaluation of RNAi Therapeutics for Heterotopic Ossification Pathologies

            Arun R. Shrivats and Jeffrey O. Hollinger

14. Mimicking Bone Microenvironment for Directing Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Osteogenic Differentiation

            ZuFu Lu, Seyed-Iman Roohani-Esfahani, and Hala Zreiqat

15. Cultivation of Human Bone-Like Tissue from Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Osteogenic Progenitors in Perfusion Bioreactors

Giuseppe Maria de Peppo, Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, and Darja Marolt

Includes cutting-edge methods and protocols on the use of biomimetic systems with stem cells

Provides step-by-step detail essential for reproducible results

Contains key notes and implementation advice from the experts