Encapsulating Mesenchymal Stromal Cells with Thin Gel Coating for Regenerative Medicine

Seminar given by Jae-Won Shin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Pharmacology and Bioengineering

University of Illinois at Chicago

Abstract: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been tested in more than 300 clinical trials because they secrete a range of bioactive molecules with potential therapeutic efficacy in acute and chronic diseases. It has been increasingly appreciated that MSCs sense and respond to insoluble cues from the extracellular matrix. However, this insight has been rarely considered in implementing stem cell therapeutics for tissue regeneration. This talk will discuss our recent progress to test the premise that controlling extracellular cues at the single cell level enables precise control of therapeutic efficacy. To achieve this goal, we have been developing droplet microfluidic methods to coat single MSCs with engineered gels that can be tuned in terms of biochemical and biophysical properties. Using the methods, we have identified the size of gel coating as a powerful parameter to control MSC size and differentiation. We have also shown the potential utility of gel coating in modulating MSCs to reprogram fibrotic tissues.