Current study has demonstrated microfabricated fluidic devices can provide a useful platform for studying stem cell differentiations. The co-culture devices are designed for two different cell, i.e. stem cell and feeder, to indirectly contact and to e...
Current study has demonstrated microfabricated fluidic devices can provide a useful platform for studying stem cell differentiations. The co-culture devices are designed for two different cell, i.e. stem cell and feeder, to indirectly contact and to exchange the soluble factors through pillar array so that chemically conditioned culture condition can be formed for stem cell differentiation. The device was fabricated using soft lithography techniques in poly(dimethylsiloxane), PDMS, and dental pailla stem cells (DPPSCs) and astrocyte were seeded in. DPPSCs and astrocyte were respectively acquired from unerupted wisdom teeth and from brain cortexes of mice(P2). Using this device, dental papilla stem cells (DPPSCs) were induced to differentiate to have neuronal morphology due to the astrocyte associated soluble factor rich microenvironment. Our preliminary results show that after four to five days, DPPSCs begin to show neuronal morphologies. We are currently trying to find both immunocytochemical and electrophysiological proofs for DPPSCs differentiations.