By monitoring stem cell differentiation on gels that mimic the stiffness and nanofibrous structure of biological tissue,researchers have identified the specific molecules that stem cells consume when selecting bone and cartilage fates. When fed to standard stem cell cultures, these molecules (mostly lipid and cholesterol metabolites) were then found to guide stem cells to generate desired cell types. The study, or which shows how new biomaterials can lift the guesswork out of identifying factors that drive stem cell differentiation,appears on July 27 in Chem.
Source: phys.org