Journal of Cell Science & Therapy
Open Access
ISSN: 2157-7013
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2157-7013
+44 1300 500008
Hak-Joon Sunbg
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Cell Sci Ther
Myocardial infarction results in extensive cardiomyocyte death which can lead to fatal arrhythmias or congestive heart failure. Delivery of stem cells to repopulate damaged cardiac tissue may be an attractive and innovative solution for repairing the damaged heart. Instructive polymer scaff olds with a wide range of properties have been used extensively to direct the diff erentiation of stem cells. In this study, we have optimized the chemical and mechanical properties of an electrospun polymer mesh for directed diff erentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) towards a cardiomyogenic lineage. A combin atorial polymer library was prepared by copolymerizing three distinct subunits at varying molar ratios to tune the physicochemical properties of the resulting polymer: hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG), hydrophobic poly(�?µ-caprolactone) (PCL), and negatively-charged, carboxylated PCL (CPCL). Murine ESCs were cultured on electrospun polymeric scaff olds and their diff erentiation to cardiomyocytes was assessed through measurements of viabili ty, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), �?±-myosin heavy chain expression (�?±-MHC), and intracellular Ca 2+ signaling dynamics. Interestingly, ESCs on the most compliant substrate, 4%PEG-86%PCL-10%CPCL, exhibited the highest �?±-MHC expression as well as the most mature Ca 2+ signaling dynamics. To investigate the role of scaff old modulus in ESC diff erentiation, the scaff old fi ber density was reduced by altering the electrospinning parameters. Th e reduced modulus was found to enhance �?±-MHC gene expression, and promote maturation of myocyte Ca 2+ handling. Th ese data indicate that ESC-derived cardiomyocyte diff erentiation and maturation can be promoted by tuning the mechanical and chemical properties of polymer scaff old via copolymerization and electrospinning techniques
Dr. Sung Joined Vanderbilt University as an assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering in 2009. He was a resident faculty member at the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials, Rutgers University from 2006 to 2009. He conducted his postdoctoral and graduate studies at Georgia Institute of Technology (joint program with Emory University School of Medicine) from 2001 to 2006. He had previous master degree training in Medical Engineering and undergraduate training in Biochemistry at Yonsei University in South Korea. His current research is focused on application of advanced combinatorial biomaterial systems for stem cell and vascular engineering.