Microengineering Hydrogels for Stem Cell Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration

The integration of microfabrication technologies with advanced biomaterials has led to the development of powerful tools to control the cellular microenvironment and the microarchitecture of engineered tissue constructs. Here, we review this area with a focus on the work accomplished in our laboratory. In particular, we discuss techniques to develop hydrogel microstructures for controlling cell aggregate formation to regulate stem cell behavior as well as a bottom-up and a top-down microengineering approach to creating biomimic tissue-like structures. (JALA 2010;15:440-8)