CAREER: Engineering MSC Progenitors using Dielectrophoresis for Better Cell Therapies

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) act as a self-repair system in the body. MSC's have the unique ability to change into a variety of different cells, and they can support our immune system by releasing cell signaling molecules depending on the body’s needs. Due to these benefits, biomanufacturing of MSCs has emerged as a vital area of research.

However, obtaining cells that exhibit specific functions is difficult because MSCs typically exist as a mixture of cell types. In this project, microfluidic technology is proposed to select cells based on key electrical parameters that have been associated with MSCs that promote healing. This project includes efforts to increase the number of African American undergraduate and high school students pursuing STEM fields.

MSC cultures contain stem cells, partially differentiated progenitor cells, and fully differentiated cells. MSC therapeutic potential is limited by the inability to select specific cell subpopulations. Little is known about the defining characteristics and functional capabilities of all MSC progenitor subtypes within a cell population.

This project has 3 goals. The first is to use a label- free cell sorting technique, dielectrophoresis, to target MSC progenitors based on their functionality. The second is to expand the number of biomarkers that can be used to reliably identify MSC progenitors.

The third is to pinpoint the key structural and molecular contributions to cell polarization. This project will attempt to expand the number of independent biomarkers that can be used for cell selection with dielectrophoresis based membrane capacitance and cytoplasm conductivity. The successful completion of these investigations will yield new molecular insights into cell surface molecules regulating differentiation, the release of cell signaling molecules, and gene expression in the mesenchymal lineage.

Additionally, we will have an effective dielectrophoresis-based microfluidic device for stem cell sorting to advance biomanufacturing efforts for better cell therapies.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.