The guidance of stem cell differentiation by substrate alignment and mechanical stimulation.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) represent a promising and clinically relevant cell source for tissue engineering applications. As such, guiding MSCs toward specific lineages and maintaining these phenotypes have been particularly challenging as the contributions of mechanical, chemical and structural cues to the complex differentiation process are largely unknown. To fully harness the potential of MSCs for regenerative medicine, a systematic investigation into the individual and combined effects of these stimuli is needed.