Search

Abstract: The lineage selection in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) differentiation relies on both the growth factors and small molecules in the media and the physical characteristics of the micro-environment. In this work, we utilized various materials, including the collagen–carbon nanotube (collagen/CNT) composite material, as cell culture matrices to examine the impact of matrix properties on hESC differentiation. Our AFM analysis indicated that the collagen/CNT formed rigid fibril bundles, which polarized the growth and differentiation of hESCs, resulting in more than 90% of the cells to the ectodermal lineage in Day 3 in the media commonly used for spontaneous differentiation. We also observed the differentiated cells followed the coarse alignment of the collagen/CNT matrix. The research not only revealed the responsiveness of hESCs to matrix properties, but also provided a simple yet efficient way to direct the hESC differentiation, and imposed the potential of forming neural-cell based bio-devices for further applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We studied collagen and collagen–CNT on stem cell lineage specification. [•] Collagen and collagen–CNT fibers differ in molecular structure and stiffness. [•] Cells respond to the difference with different protein expression profiles. [•] Collagen–CNT was a superior matrix to accelerate the neural differentiation. [•] The two matrices imposed the neural fate of stem cells by different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]