Guiding Stem Cells for Tissue and Organ Engineering: Clinical Grade Nanofiber Electrospinning for Recreation of the Optimal 3-Dimensional Extracellular Niche to Control Cellular Fate

Abstract

We aimed to provide optimal and controlled growth mechanisms that determine the fate of cells by designing a novel polymeric, bio-functionalised 3-dimensional artificial Nanofibrous Extracellular Matrix (NF-ECM) that recapitulates the natural microenvironment of cells. We initially reviewed current cell-expansion methods, and clinically feasible protocols for tissue engineering applications. They are often based on conventional 2-dimensional tissue culture plates that usually require xenogenic coating substrates or feeder-cells to maintain their characteristics. Propagating cells in a 3-dimensional architecture, rather than in the conventional 2-dimensional flat monolayers, can be advantageous for many regenerative applications and biological or disease modelling studies. Furthermore, such 3-dimensional culture systems might be crucial in developing a bioreactor-based design that provides finely controlled environmental conditions that would reliably propagate 3-dimensional multilayered cell organisation or spheroids on a large scale. Furthermore, the ability to expand cells in the absence of animal-derived products is a necessary condition for clinical application.