Abstract
As stem cells and primary cells hold potential for improving disease outcomes and patient lives, methods for steering cell fate are of considerable importance. In this context, an emerging method is directing cell function through controlling cellular shape. The talk will discuss how cell functions are based on mechano-transduction events related to the balance of intra- and extracellular forces. The talk will explore the multiple biophysical cues that affect cell shape and present methods for directly generating cell shape, e. g. micro-contact printing used for directing the differentiation lineage of stem cells. Based on our own work, the talk will introduce the novel concept that specific biomaterial types and stiffnesses can be chosen for generating specific cellular “baseline shapes” and associated function. As our cells are exposed to continuously changing biomechanical forces, the talk will also report how specific forces can be used for engineering shape. The talk will explore how biomaterial stiffness and biomechanical forces act together on cellular shape, and whether one of the two stimuli is able to override the other. The novel insights reported here are fundamental for designing cell shape-instructive 3D biomaterials in the context of steering cell function in situ for regenerative medicine.
