Governing stem cell fate through inert materials

A decade of intensive research has not produced consistent results able to allow a safe and cost-effective use of stem cells in the clinical setting. Among the different causes, the vision that the stem cell rejuvenating potential could overwhelm all the other biological cues has demonstrated to be very weak. Instead, it is now clear that stem cell fate is governed by a complex array of multi-parametric signals whose symmetry is fundamental to confine stem sells in a determined state. The modulation of the level of symmetry along the time-scale drives stem cells towards a specific phenotype. Attempts at reproducing in vitro this mechanism has demonstrated that scaffolds made of inert materials but endowed with appropriate topology and physical characteristics can release signals sensed as biologically relevant by stem cells. Exploiting this concept could allow to reproduce in vitro the physiological conditions usually governing cell fate in order to achieve a more complete control of stem cell differentiation for clinical applications.