A research team at the Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes in France uses magnetized stem cells to both manipulate and stimulate the cells into 3D shapes.
New approach
The new method helps tissue engineers who work in the regenerative medicine to replace damaged or diseased organs with new ones built from stem cells. To manipulate and specialize stem cells into three dimensional structures scientists have used methods that include bioscaffolds as well as 3D bioprinting .
The study, published Monday in Nature Communications,, used embryonic stem cells incubated with magnetic nanoparticles. The cells easily absorbed the nanoparticles, allowing the scientists to group them with magnets. First, the team confirmed that the nanoparticles did not harm the cells. Stem cells containing iron nanoparticles showed no differences in survival or division compared to iron‑free cells.
The researchers also needed to ensure that the nanoparticles did not affect pluripotency—the cells’ ability to remain unspecialized. Under the microscope, the cells continued to form rounded clumps, a hallmark of pluripotent cells. Key pluripotency genes also remained active after nanoparticle uptake.
Hanging drop method
Next, the team confirmed that the magnetized stem cells could still differentiate into various cell types, a critical requirement for tissue engineering. Using the hanging drop method,, they showed that the nanoparticles did not interfere with embryoid body formation, the first step toward producing mesoderm, ectoderm, and endoderm tissues.
The magnetic approach offered several advantages over the hanging drop technique. It assembled cells instantly into uniform, round embryoid bodies and allowed precise control over their size—a key factor in determining differentiation outcomes.
The setup also included a movable magnet, enabling the researchers to stretch and shape the developing tissues without scaffolds or physical contact. Previous studies have shown that altering cell shape in 2D environments can influence gene activity. Here, moving the magnet in a heartbeat‑like rhythm nudged the embryoid bodies toward a heart‑muscle fate. France’s National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), which funded the study, summarized the implications:
“This ‘all‑in‑one’ approach, which makes it possible to build and manipulate tissue within the same system, could prove to be a powerful tool for both biophysical studies and tissue engineering.”
Related Posts
Magnetized stem cells used to treat lung disease in mice
Stem cell stories that caught out eye: IPS cells from drop of blood