Differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cell under flow conditions to mature hepatocytes for liver tissue engineering.

Hepatic differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) under flow conditions in a 3D scaffold is expected to be a major step forward for construction of bioartificial livers. The aims of this study were to induce hepatic differentiation of hiPSCs under perfusion conditions and to perform functional comparisons with fresh human precision-cut liver slices (hPCLS), an excellent benchmark for the human liver in vivo. The majority of the mRNA expression of CYP isoenzymes and transporters and the tested CYP activities, Phase II metabolism, and albumin, urea, and bile acid synthesis in the hiPSC-derived cells reached values that overlap those of hPCLS, which indicates a higher degree of hepatic differentiation than observed until now.

3D Printed Silicone-Hydrogel Scaffold with Enhanced Physicochemical Properties.

Scaffolds with multiple functionalities have attracted widespread attention in the field of tissue engineering due to their ability to control cell behavior through various cues, including mechanical, chemical, and electrical. Fabrication of such scaffolds from clinically approved materials is currently a huge challenge. The goal of this work was to fabricate a tissue engineering scaffold from clinically approved materials with the capability of delivering biomolecules and direct cell fate.

Bioimpedance monitoring of 3D cell culturing--complementary electrode configurations for enhanced spatial sensitivity.

A bioimpedance platform is presented as a promising tool for non-invasive real-time monitoring of the entire process of three-dimensional (3D) cell culturing in a hydrogel scaffold. In this study, the dynamics involved in the whole process of 3D cell culturing, starting from polymerisation of a bare 3D gelatin scaffold, to human mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) encapsulation and proliferation, was monitored over time. The platform consists of a large rectangular culture chamber with four embedded vertical gold plate electrodes that were exploited in two- and three terminal (2T and 3T) measurement configurations.

The role of paracrine and autocrine signaling in the early phase of adipogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells.

Introduction: High cell density is known to enhance adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, suggesting secretion of signaling factors or cell-contact-mediated signaling. By employing microfluidic biochip technology, we have been able to separate these two processes and study the secretion pathways.

Methods And Results: Adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) cultured in a microfluidic system was investigated under perfusion conditions with an adipogenic medium or an adipogenic medium supplemented with supernatant from differentiating ASCs (conditioned medium).

The MainSTREAM component platform: a holistic approach to microfluidic system design.

A microfluidic component library for building systems driving parallel or serial microfluidic-based assays is presented. The components are a miniaturized eight-channel peristaltic pump, an eight-channel valve, sample-to-waste liquid management, and interconnections. The library of components was tested by constructing various systems supporting perfusion cell culture, automated DNA hybridizations, and in situ hybridizations.

A self-contained, programmable microfluidic cell culture system with real-time microscopy access.

Utilizing microfluidics is a promising way for increasing the throughput and automation of cell biology research. We present a complete self-contained system for automated cell culture and experiments with real-time optical read-out. The system offers a high degree of user-friendliness, stability due to simple construction principles and compactness for integration with standard instruments.