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

该项目将把视黄酸（RA）掺入聚（乳酸-羟基乙酸）PLGA微球中，将其掺入胚状体（EBs）中，并测试其对胚胎干（ES）细胞分化为神经元样细胞的释放。具体目的是：(1)确定微粒可以被纳入EBs(2)确定递送药物在EB内的空间分布，以及(3)比较颗粒释放的RA与外源性RA对ES细胞分化的影响。该研究将发展一种促进胚胎干细胞（在胚状体内）向特定谱系分化的一般策略。基于药物不能自由扩散到EBs的证据，研究者提出，如果释放药物的微粒被纳入EBs，这一屏障可能会被克服。这种基本方法对胚胎干细胞的定向分化具有广泛的适用性。从长远来看，这个项目有可能为使用干细胞进行多种治疗提供重要的新信息，这些治疗需要干细胞的受控分化。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.