Stem Cell Characterisation, Sorting and Expansion

There is great promise in the use of stem cells to replace lost function of organs. Essential prerequisites for successful approaches in stem cell-based regenerative medicine are the reliable identification of stem cells and their sorting from heterogeneous populations as well as the safe expansion of stem cells in vitro without altering their differentiation potential. Most research in this field focuses on the molecular level (signalling molecules and pathways) and there is a great opportunity to make groundbreaking contributions to the field by considering physical aspects. The mechanical properties of cells are largely determined by the cytoskeleton, which in turn is intimately involved in many cell functions. Any physiological change in the function of the cell, such as differentiation, can be sensitively detected by monitoring the mechanical properties of the cell. A microfluidic optical stretcher offers a high-throughput option for the mechanical testing of cells. With appropriate technological advancement it could also be used to sort cells with up to 100 cells/s. The use of cell mechanics as an inherent stem cell marker makes the costly use of fluorescent antibodies obsolete and leaves the cells in an uncontaminated state for transplantation. Deformability-based flow cytometry could thus offer a sensible improvement over fluorescence activated cell sorters (FACS). Stem cells, like other cells, can sense the mechanical properties of their surroundings and in some cases mechanical cues can even supersede biochemical ones in driving and determining differentiation fate. The effective application of this insight from recent biophysical work could provide a breakthrough in the culturing and medical application of stem cells.