BACKGROUND:  The nanomechanical properties of a cell is known to be related to a wide variety of important biological properties such as signaling pathways, metastatic potential, cell death, and division. Differentiated cardiac myocytes are well known to produce mechanical beating motions in culture. Therefore, embryonic stem (ES) cells directed towards cardiac myocyte differentiation must at some point begin to beat. This will require a major reorganization of the cell cytoskeleton and in turn a drastic change in nanomechanical properties. Measurement of these nanomechanical properties as a function of differentiation progress will provide a measurable characteristic to monitor differentiation.

INNOVATION:  The characterization of the differentiation pathway through nanomechanical means provides a direct single cell method for measuring the progress of differentiation and influencing it through nanomechanical means.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS 

• The method described here relates to the characterization and application of ES cells for tissue replacement therapy for damaged hearts. The techniques can be extended to any ES cell differentiation pathway for tissue replacement.

ADVANTAGES

• By taking advantage of nanotechnology and techniques developed at UCLA, this method delivers an unprecedented level of control to characterize, monitor, inhibit, enhance, or direct stem cell differentiation.

DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE:  Proof-of-principle experiments have been designed for ES cell differentiation into cardiac myocytes. The techniques can be extended to any ES cell differentiation pathway.

Reference: UCLA Case No. 2005-576