Journal of Cell Science & Therapy
Open Access

Probing the stem cell microenvironment in tunable extracellular matrices for tissue engineering and regeneration

International Conference & Exhibition on Cell Science & Stem Cell Research

29 Nov - 1 Dec 2011 Philadelphia Airport Marriott, USA

Wei Seong Toh

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Cell Sci Ther

Abstract :

Th e extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in both stem cell self-renewal and diff erentiation. In stem cell-based therapies, proper regulation of self-renewal and diff erentiation determines the outcome of tissue regeneration and subsequent normal tissue functioning and homeostasis. Th erefore, ECM-based biomaterial systems have the greatest advantage of being able to provide the natural stem cell microenvironments suitable for cellular adhesion, migration, proliferation and diff erentiation. Two novel injectable ECM-based biomaterials (Hyaluronic Acid-Tyramine and Gelatin-Hydroxyphenylpropionic Acid), which can be covalently cross-linked in vivo via an enzyme-mediated oxidative coupling process and feature independent tuning of mechanical properties and gelation rates, have recently been developed for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. In this presentation, we will be describing the use of these ECM-based biomaterials as in vitro systems for the construction of stem cell microenvironments. Of interest, modulation of stem cell diff erentiation along musculoskeletal and neural lineages in these systems will be discussed

Biography :

Wei Seong Toh received his B.Sc. from University of Melbourne, Australia in 2003. He was later funded by NUS Research Scholarship and President Graduate Fellowship for his Ph.D. (2006-2010) studies in National University of Singapore (NUS). Since 2011, he joined Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women?s Hospital as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, supported by A*STAR International Fellowship, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore. His research interests include the application of biomaterials to modulate stem cell microenvironments for tissue engineering and regeneration. He has published more than 15 publications in reputed international journals and authored 6 invited reviews/book chapters.