Stem cell therapy for the treatment of macular degeneration, although successful in early disease-stage patients, is hindered by poor survival and integration of directly injected stem cells.  In this work, implantable stem cell scaffolds were fabricated for the purpose of increasing stem cell survival and photoreceptor-specific differentiation. Polymer templating using lyotropic liquid crystals imparted nano-scale order to the photopolymerized scaffolds, as confirmed using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). Variations in polymer composition and sub-micron order were used to control relevant physical properties and cell-material interactions. Water uptake and modulus were measured gravimetrically and using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), respectively; while murine induced pluripotent stem (MiPS) cells' growth and differentiation on the scaffolds was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and immunohistochemistry. The knowledge gained herein helps to define the mechanics and architecture that optimize stem cell scaffold's effectiveness in vitro, integration in vivo and ultimately, their ability to restore vision.

Improving the design of retinal regenerative stem cell scaffolds using photopolymerized nanostructures

245th National Meeting (2013)

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