Engineering Control of Embryonic Stem Cell Microenvironments during Differentiation via Integration of Degradable Biomaterials

0651739 McDevit该项目将在聚乳酸-乙醇酸共聚物微球中加入维甲酸(RA)，将其整合到类胚体(EB)中，并测试它们在胚胎干细胞(ES)分化为神经元样细胞时的释放情况。研究的具体目标是：(1)确定微粒可以被整合到EBS中；(2)确定药物在EB中的空间分布；(3)比较微粒释放的RA和外源性RA对ES细胞分化的影响。研究将开发一种普遍的策略，促进胚胎干细胞(在类胚体内)向特定谱系的分化。根据药物不能自由扩散到EBS的证据，研究人员提出，如果药物释放微粒被结合到EBS中，这一障碍可能会被克服。这种基本的方法对ES细胞的定向分化具有广泛的适用性。从长远来看，该项目有可能为将干细胞用于需要控制分化的多种疗法提供重要的新信息。该项目包括通过佐治亚理工学院建立的机制对高中生和本科生进行培训。

0651739 McDevittThe project will incorporate rentinoic acid (RA) into Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) PLGA microspheres, incorporate them into embryoid bodies (EBs), and test their release on embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation into neuron-like cells. The specific aims are: (1) Determine that microparticles can be incorporated within EBs (2) Determine the spatial distribution of delivered pharmaceuticals within an EB, and (3) Compare particle-released RA to exogenous RA on ES cell differentiation.The research will develop a general strategy for increasing differentiation of embryonic stem cells (within embryoid bodies) into a particular lineage. Based on evidence that pharmaceutical agents do not freely diffuse into EBs, the investigator proposes that this barrier may be overcome if drug-releasing microparticles are incorporated into EBs. This fundamental approach can have broad applicability to the directed differentiation of ES cells. In the long term this project has the potential to provide significant new information in work toward using stem cells for multiple therapies that require their controlled differentiation.The project includes training of high school and undergraduate students through established mechanisms at Georgia Institute of Technology.