Issue 37, 2016

Using carbohydrate-based biomaterials as scaffolds to control human stem cell fate

Abstract

Given the important roles of carbohydrates in numerous signalling pathways, cell–cell interactions and cell–matrix interactions, a variety of scaffolds based on natural polysaccharides and glycoproteins that are mostly found in the native extracellular matrix (ECM) have been established and investigated as stem cell culture systems. Stem cells have been extensively used in cell therapy and tissue engineering, and the ability to create a suitable environment to direct stem cell behavior is critical for such endeavors. It is a great challenge to construct scaffolds that mimic the native “niche” of stem cells. The present review describes the current statuses and applications of several natural polysaccharide and glycoprotein scaffolds for use in tissue engineering. In the future, carbohydrate-based biomaterials may be used to create powerful scaffolds that can regulate the stem cell fate.

Graphical abstract: Using carbohydrate-based biomaterials as scaffolds to control human stem cell fate

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
27 Jun 2016
Accepted
08 Aug 2016
First published
17 Aug 2016

Org. Biomol. Chem., 2016,14, 8648-8658

Using carbohydrate-based biomaterials as scaffolds to control human stem cell fate

J. Hu, P. H. Seeberger and J. Yin, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2016, 14, 8648 DOI: 10.1039/C6OB01124A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements