Bio-electrospraying embryonic stem cells: interrogating cellular viability and pluripotency

Abstract

Bio-electrospraying, a recently discovered, direct electric field driven cell engineering process, has been demonstrated to have no harmful effects on treated cells at a molecular level. Although several cell types from both immortalized and primary cultures have been assessed post-treatment as a function of time in comparison to controls, the protocol has yet to be applied on embryonic stem cells. This is most important if bio-electrosprays are to further their applicability, in particular with regard to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, where embryonic stem cells play a fundamental role. In the study presented herein the chosen stem cells are mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Hence, these first examples where embryonic stem cells have been jetted by way of bio-electrosprays, demonstrate the cellular viability and the cell's pluripotency indistinguishable when comparing those post-treated cells with their respective controls.