Reprogramming articles within Nature Materials

Featured

• News & Views | 24 June 2020

  Oncogenetic engagement with mechanosensing

  Reprogramming normal cells into tumour precursors involves complex reconditioning of the tissue microenvironment. Cumulative integration of genetic drivers with extrinsic mechanical inputs is now shown to engage YAP/TAZ to rewire cell mechanics and initiate tumorigenic reprogramming.

  • Sayan Chakraborty
  •  & Wanjin Hong

• News & Views | 24 February 2016

  A 3D boost

  Biophysical factors in an optimized three-dimensional microenvironment enhance the reprogramming efficiency of human somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells when compared to traditional cell-culture substrates.

  • Oscar J. Abilez
  •  & Joseph C. Wu

• Article | 11 January 2016

  Defined three-dimensional microenvironments boost induction of pluripotency

  The confinement imposed by the three-dimensional microenvironment promotes the induction of pluripotency in somatic cells through an accelerated mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and increased epigenetic remodelling.

  • Massimiliano Caiazzo
  • , Yuya Okawa
  •  & Matthias P. Lutolf

• News & Views | 21 November 2013

  Into the groove

  Adult cells can be routinely reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells by chemical and genetic means, such as the expression of a cocktail of exogenous transcription factors. It is now shown that growing cells on substrates with aligned features such as microgrooves can enhance this process.

  • Yan Xu
  • , Longqi Liu
  •  & Miguel A. Esteban

• Article | 20 October 2013

  Biophysical regulation of epigenetic state and cell reprogramming

  Somatic cells can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells biochemically through the expression of a few transcription factors. It is now shown that aligned microgrooves or nanofibres on cell-adhesive substrates can promote the reprogramming of somatic cells more efficiently through epigenetic regulation of genes related to pluripotency and the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition. The findings suggest that the epigenetic state can be regulated by variations in cell morphology.

  • Timothy L. Downing
  • , Jennifer Soto
  •  & Song Li

• News & Views | 22 May 2013

  Differential stickiness

  Technologies to isolate colonies of human pluripotent stem cells from other cell types in a high-throughput manner are lacking. A microfluidic-based approach that exploits differences in the adhesion strength between these cells and a substrate may soon fill the gap.

  • Oscar J. Abilez
  •  & Joseph C. Wu