Author: Tamrin SH1, Majedi FS2, Tondar M3, Sanati-Nezhad A4, Hasani-Sadrabadi MM5,6
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Center of Excellence in Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
<sup>2</sup>Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
<sup>3</sup>Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
<sup>4</sup>BioMEMS and BioInspired Microfluidic Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Center for Bioengineering Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2N1N4. amir.sanatinezhad@ucalgary.ca.
<sup>5</sup>Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. Mahdi.hasani@gatech.edu.
<sup>6</sup>Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience and G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA. Mahdi.hasani@gatech.edu.
Conference/Journal: Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol.
Date published: 2016 Aug 12
Other:
Word Count: 162
Controlling stem cell (SC) fate is an extremely important topic in the realm of SC research. A variety of different external cues mainly mechanical, chemical, or electrical stimulations individually or in combination have been incorporated to control SC fate. Here, we will deconstruct the probable relationship between the functioning of electromagnetic (EMF) and SC fate of a variety of different SCs. The electromagnetic (EM) nature of the cells is discussed with the emphasis on the effects of EMF on the determinant factors that directly and/or indirectly influence cell fate. Based on the EM effects on a variety of cellular processes, it is believed that EMFs can be engineered to provide a controlled signal with the highest impact on the SC fate decision. Considering the novelty and broad applications of applying EMFs to change SC fate, it is necessary to shed light on many unclear mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.
KEYWORDS: Differentiation; Electromagnetic field; Self-renewal; Stem cell fate; Stem cell niche
PMID: 27515674 DOI: 10.1007/112_2016_4