Mechano-Epigenetics for Cell Engineering

Cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells or into a completely different lineage has wide applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling and drug screening. Although the roles of transcriptional factors and chemical compounds in cell reprogramming have been widely studied, the effects of biophysical factors are not well understood. We have demonstrated that micro-structured materials can modulate the morphology of cell nuclei and epigenetic state, which in turn enhances cell reprogramming efficiency. In addition, we show that active forces such as a millisecond squeezing of cell nucleus in microfluidic devices can help overcome the epigenetic barrier and promote cell reprogramming. These findings have important implications in mechano-genomics, and may lead to the development of new technologies for cell engineering.