Stem cell culture

June’s issue of Nature Materials has a focus on stem cell culture.  The first of three reviews discusses how various inherent properties of materials may be engineered to regulate stem cell decisions, while a second focuses on the influence of the nano scale extracellular environment on stem cell fate via integrin-matrix interactions.  The third review outlines progress in high-throughput materials discovery of growth substrates for large-scale human pluripotent stem cell culture.  A Perspective article discusses the interplay between soluble factors and physical microenvironment in the control of stem cell fate.  A variety of primary research articles and supporting “News and Views” pieces are also contained in the focus.  Worth a look.

http://www.nature.com/nmat/focus/cell-culture/index.html

How cells change nanoparticles

The protein corona surrounding nanoparticles exposed to biological cells changes according to nanoparticle characteristics, cell type and length of exposure, studies show.  These changes alter nanoparticle aggregation, cell membrane affinity, uptake and retention.  Results suggest nanoparticles have an ever-changing biological ‘identity’ as they travel through numerous microenvironments in the body.

Secreted Biomolecules Alter the Biological Identity and Cellular Interactions of Nanoparticles; A. Albanese et al; ACS Nano; DOI: 10.1021/nn4061012 

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nn4061012

Graphenes in biology

Kostas Kostarelos and Kostya Novoselov discuss the difficulties of investigating how graphenes interact with biological systems. This family of materials can be produced in different ways, which control their thickness, size and surface functionalization all of which will modify cell-material interactions. Article also touches on issues of biodegradation and safety.

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/344/6181/261.full

Exploring the interface of graphene and biology; K. Kostarelos and K Novoselov; Science; Vol. 344 no. 6181 pp. 261-263; 2014.