Control of stem cell fate by engineering their micro and nanoenvironment

Figure 1 The effect of nanotopographies on stem cell shape and its consequential effect on the differentiation of stem cells. A: Brightfield images of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) plated onto small (1024 μm²) or large (10000 μm²) fibronectin islands after 1 wk in growth or mixed media. Note hMSCs plated on large islands showed differentiation for osteogenic differentiation and those on small islands showed differentiation for adipogenic differentiation. Lipids stain red; alkaline phosphatase stains blue. Scale bar = 50 μm; B: Percentage differentiation of hMSCs plated onto 1024, 2025, or 10000 μm² islands after 1 wk of culture in mixed media. Taken with permission from McBeath R, Pirone DM, Nelson CM, Bhadriraju K, Chen CS. Cell shape, cytoskeletal tension and RhoA regulate stem cell lineage commitment. Dev Cell 2004; 6: 483-495.