Cellulose nanofibers for encapsulation and pluripotency preservation in the early development of embryonic stem cells.

In this study, we used cellulose nanofiber (CNF) hydrogels to mimic the developing conditions required for ESCs. These plant-based hydrogels are simultaneously biocompatible and exogenous to mammalian cells, preventing remodeling and attachment. The storage modulus of these hydrogels could be fine-tuned by varying the degree of oxidation to enable selective degradation. The ESCs proliferated in the artificial environment, forming increasingly large embryoid bodies for 15 days. Unlike traditional cultures, in which ESCs begin differentiating upon the removal of the chemical inhibition, the expression of pluripotency markers in the ESC population remained high for the entire two weeks. Cellulase from Trichoderma reesei was used to retrieve the ESC cultures selectively. The proposed unique system is a prospective model with which to study the early development of embryonic cells, as well as a non-chemical method of preserving undifferentiated populations of ESCs. PMID: 32931265 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Biomacromolecules - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: Biomacromolecules Source Type: research