Direct and cell signaling-based, geometry-induced neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells

摘要: Neural Stem Cells (NSCs) are multipotent precursors inhabiting the subventricular and hippocampal subgranular regions of adult mammalian brain, able to self-renew differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, three primary neural cell types brain. NSC fate is influenced by physical chemical microenvironment experienced cell, both in vitro vivo. Towards characterizing influence topographical, geometric cues on fate, we fabricated highly aligned, single- double-layer polystyrene nanofiber meshes. Seeding NSCs laminin-coated fibers induces polarized morphology cellular elongation directions fiber alignment, with cells extending membranous processes over hundreds microns along surfaces. Additionally, these aligned substrates promote neuronal lineage specification an efficiency 82.3 ± 11.1% within days seeding. Moreover, not only do cellson yield but also neighboring cellsin close proximity those differentiating fibers, 72.8 9.7%. This neighboring, cell-induced differentiation occurs without cell–cell contact millimetres away from suggesting a paracrine signaling effect previously reported for undergoing neurogenesis. In contrast, farther nearly uniformly glia.